Fix You
by Apolka1029
Summary: Modern AU, set in London, UK. Rated M for possible cursing and adult material. A story about messed up relationships, broken souls and strong bounds.
1. Chapter 1

It was already 2 AM, but London was awake - and so did a guy in his room. The only light was the screen of his laptop. He'd been working on his paper for hours, his eyelids were heavy, he couldn't concentrate, he was making typos constantly - he was tired like hell even though he had drunken a strong cup of Americano before he started writing. He wanted to finish it as soon as possible, but he didn't seem to succeed. The only thing which prevented him from falling asleep were the loud and _quite_ sensual screams from the other room.

"Why are these walls so freaking thin? And why the hell let I him still live with me?" - he thought.

Robb got the apartement as a graduation gift one and a half years ago when he got in to the Royal Business University. He didn't want to live alone (it would have been too strange after living together with other seven people), so he rented the other room. The first possible flatmate was the strawberry blonde Theon Greyjoy with mixed Northern Irish and American accent. He seemed to be nice company, and he liked the flat so he moved in.

They got on very well since the first minute and they became best friends quickly. Robb's never had before such a good friend like Theon, although they were completely different in their features. Theon always went with the flow while Robb was a little bit control freak, Theon worried about school much less than his flatmate, he took home different girls every week and they always _loved_ each other pretty loudly. It destroyed the spirit easily when in the other room Robb tried to spend some quality time with his own girlfriend.

"I haven't seen her for almost a week. There are lots of school stuff going on right now for both of us but is this an excuse for not seeing each other?"

He'd been together with Jeyne for 7 month. She was quite pretty but not specifically beautiful, kind and clever as she was a medical student. His family liked her very much.

"Except Arya. She said I could have got someone less boring."

Their relationship had never been that intense. They did everything exactly how it's written. On their first date Robb took her a to a posh restaurant, they talked very politely, he walked her home and kissed her in the door. They made love for the first time after five dates. She was introduced to his family after one month. Everything was planned perfectly and his mother secretly thought that after his graduation Robb could actually marry her.

Robb sometimes had to admit that his sister was right and even asked himself: "Why am I still together with Jeyne?" But the answer was always the same: it's the best and most convenient for them and their families.

That night Theon and his new girl were way too loud. Robb was thinking about going over and asking them to be less distractive, but he didn't do it. He rather shut down his laptop, layed in his bed and trying to forget about the sounds and his scrambled thoughts, fell asleep.


	2. Chapter 2

He woke up to the delicate light of the British sun. With his eyes still closed he took a deep breath - he felt smoke and strong peppermint scent which has filled all of his mind since last night. On his skin he felt soft touch of silky hair, his arm was wrapped around a girl's small waist. She was still sleeping, wearing one of his old t-shirts.

He opened his eyes slowly and looked round in the room - on the floor there was an empty wine bottle, a half packet of cigarette and their clothes in small piles. The mess was even bigger than usual. But she was still beautiful, with her wavy reddish hair, angel-like face (which hid the inner demon) and perfect body.

"I haven't actually slept with a girl for ages. But I'm glad she stayed."

Last night, when he couldn't convince Robb to go out with him ("For God's sake, seriously? Writing a paper on Friday night?!"), Theon decided to try out some new place. He was wandering around the city, he couldn't tell how he had found that fancy bar and why he had entered, but when he saw the beautiful redhead sitting by the bar, drinking Martini, he stopped searching. The goal changed: he wanted to get her for the night.

"Pretty girl, drinking alone? I can't imagine any reason" - he said to her with his usual seductive smile.

"None of your business. But thank you for the compliment" - she answered with glacial smile, but in her frosty-blue eyes he saw some fire.

"Well, I think you might want some company. You aren't looking that happy, I may can cheer you up" - he sat next to her and ordered a whisky.

"You're a bit pushing, aren't you? Nevermind. By the way I can't see any reason either why such a handsome man like you goes out alone."

"Do you think I'm handsome?" - he asked fiercely.

"Do you think I'm pretty?"

"Yes, you are very pretty, Snowflake."

"What did you call me?"

"Your pendant" - Theon pointed at the little sparkling silver snowflake what she was wearing in her neck. - "And you seem a bit… Frosty and frozen."

"Oh, and do you want to be the 'light of my life, fire of my loins'? "

"That's from Lolita."

"Yes, it is. Wait, you actually read it?" - she asked. She seemed very surprised.

"It's a long flight between Dublin and Miami." - he shrugged.

"I loved that book. I'm Thirrin, by the way."

"I'm Theon."

They kissed each other's cheeks - that was enough to turn him on even more, and her too. She smelled like peppermint candy - refreshing but sweet. Although the challange was harder than usual, he knew the beautiful snowflake had started melting.

They talked a bit, teased each other - the chemistry was working between them perfectly. They ordered another round, her cheeks started flushing and when he placed his hand on her leather-covered lap, she didn't mind it.

"Hey, do you want a cigarette?" - Thirrin asked after about three Martinis.

"Yeah, sounds good. I bet you smoke mint-flavoured ones." - Theon said smiling.

Thirrin smiled back and they went out of the place. As they were walking out, he placed his hand on her lower back.

He was right. As they stopped in the smoking area next to the bar, she got out of her purse some mint-flavoured cigarette. She placed one between her full red lips and let him light it. For some seconds they were incredibly close - her minty scent and the nearness of her body made Theon much more drunk than any strong spirit.

They were smoking in silence while he was watching her. She kept the smoke in long, then she let it out with her mouth open. She was so so sexy.

"I know you wanna kiss me" - Thirrin said suddenly, with perky smile.

"And I will, Snowflake." - Theon threw away both of the cigarettes and kissed her fast. First he kissed her lips, then she opened her mouth. It tasted like alcohol and minty smoke. Their kiss grew more passionate and intense. She wrapped her arms around his neck, his hands slid down to her rounded butt. He knew he would reach the finish line soon.

Then he flagged down a taxi and drove into Northern direction. They kept on making out in the car as well. Once went upstairs into his room, they lost control - they basically ripped off each other's clothes and had sex very intensely. After they cuddled up in the bed, they smoked together, talked over a bottle of wine what he had found somewhere in the apartment and went for another round and another. He couldn't remember when they had fallen asleep.

Soon she started moving too and opened her eyes. Theon kissed her softly.

"Good morning, Snowflake" - he said.

"Morning…" - murmured Thirrin. - "Oh God, have I slept here?"

"It really looks like so…"

"Margaery's gonna kill me... " - she said exhaustedly as she scanned through her phone. She'd got three unread messages. She typed the answer quickly and jumped out of the bed.

"Okay, I gotta go home, my cousin is totally freaked out" - She started picking up her clothes.

"I was hoping we could say a proper goodbye before you leave" - Theon grabbed her waist, kissed her passionately and pulled her to his lap.

"Would it be a goodbye forever?" - Thirrin asked between two kisses.

"I would be more than glad if I could see you again."

"I wanna repeat this awesome night too. And I don't wanna just see you… I wanna feel you, if you know what I mean…"

"You will feel me right now, sweetie."

And she did. They couldn't get enough of each other.

"Just to make everything clear - Thirrin said after some time while trying to squeeze herself into her leather pants. -, I don't want anything serious. I've been through a lot lately and all I want now is just having some fun. Without any bound."

"Sure, if it's okay for you then it's okay for me."

"Thank you, Theon. I just wanted to be honest with you."

"Well, thanks. And I can guarantee we'll have a lot of...fun."

They smiled to each other - their smile was very similar: independent, confident and fascinating.

"I've just hit the jackpot with Thirrin" - Theon thought. - "Finally someone who doesn't require any stupid and boring date just clear and delightful sex."

"By the way I already wanted to ask you but what is the tattoo on your back?"

"It's a kraken, a mystical sea creature. I got it in Miami."

"As a memory?"

"More as a lucky charm. I have an inscription underneath, too."

"Yeah, I see. 'We do not sow' What does it mean?"

"It's a life motto or something like this. For me, it means that I

get what I want no matter what."

"Oh, I see." - Short break. - "Hey, I seriously need a coffee to look into my cousin's eyes. Shall we go and get some?"

"Yeah, of course."

They headed downstairs. As they were walking down the stairs, he gently squeezed her rounded butt from behind. She turned back and smiled to him.

"I have a feeling you really like it…"

"You couldn't be more right." - Theon smiled back. - "Oh, I can already smell the coffee, I think my roommate has made some."

"Do you live together with another guy?" - Thirrin asked while both turned into the kitchen's direction.

"Yeah, he's an economic student just like you. And here we are-"

But he was interrupted by Thirrin's short and surprised scream.

"What are you doing here, Robb Stark?" - Thirrin asked Robb who seemed half awake but just as surprised as the girl.

"I live here! The real question is what are YOU doing here, Thirrin?"

"Wait, you guys know each other?" - Theon asked looking at them confused.

"Yes, she is… We are groupmates at school, we share practically every class." - Robb's face turned as red as his curly hair. Theon knew straight away that there is something going on between his best friend and his new bootycall.

"Wow, Stark, you haven't even mentioned this girl before! Why were you hiding her from me?" - Theon smirked.

"I have no idea…Oh my God Robb, did you hear us last night?"

"He's got used to it." - Theon winked.

"Theon, please…" - Robb rolled his eyes.

"Well, I haven't expected you here, Stark. Now I need that coffee more than ever. Besides, have you written the paper for Economic French yet?" - she asked while poured a cup of coffee and sit on the counter. - "Because I just couldn't finish it. 50 more words are missing, which make only about four or five sentences, but still…"

"It's the surprise of the year" - Theon thought while watching Thirrin and drinking coffee. - "I take home a total stranger and she turns out to be Robb's groupmate. I won't give up on her, though, but I have to know what happened between them in the past. Because something happened for sure, it's written on his face. Maybe he cheated on his boring girlfriend with Thirrin once or twice. I could totally understand it, even my own hands are much more interesting than that smartass daddy's favorite."

They finished the energy-reboot in silence. Then Thirrin pulled him out of the kitchen and kissed him.

"Call me" - she whispered and walked out of the door. Her long hair was flattering on her back, she walked liked she would be on the runway. He stood for good three minutes in the door, looking at the widing girl. Then he shaked his ruffled head and went back.

"Tell me, what's wrong with her?" - he asked Robb directly.

"Nothing… " - Robb said shunning his friend's eyes

"Please, don't even try to lie to me. I know you better than this, Robb, and I know you're hiding something. Did you hook up or something?"

"Almost… "

"Almost? I think you should explain it."

"Okay - he sighed. - Do you remember that all-you-can-drink party last October where I went to?"

Theon nodded.

"There was the entire Business and Management faculty, including Thirrin. Everyone's been fond of her since the first minute, me too. That night I saw her even more beautiful than usual. I got more than drunk and I tried to hit on her. We were flirting and stuff, and I almost kissed her, when…"

"Oh God, are you talking about THAT party? When you got drunk for the first time, drank every letter of the ABC from champagne to vodka and "a pretty and nice girl" basically helped you throw up? Was Thirrin the "pretty and nice girl"?

"Yes… It was the most embarrasing moment of my life, and after it was even harder! Although I tried to avoid her, I couldn't, because as I said we share every class, and…."

"Wow man, it's… It's simply hilarious! No, it's the grotesk itself."

"No, the grotesk itself is that you took up her. Besides, what are your intentions with her?"

"I don't know Father, we only met yesterday!"

"Theon!"

"What?! Look, if it bothers you, just tell me. But I do want to see her again. I like her, she likes me, we both wanna have fun. Is it wrong?"

"No, of course not, do whatever you want! I mean, it's okay for me if you guys… You know. After everything what happened I couldn't be with her anyway."

"Thank you, Robb."

But he saw in his blue eyes that something about this whole thing annoys him. He just couldn't find out what it was.


	3. Chapter 3

Thirrin was traveling home. She was still wearing her nightout outfit - black leather pants, sheer sleeveless blouse, elegant blazer, small purse and sky-high heels - , she put her hair up in a messy bun and she tried to fix her smuged makeup using the front camera of her phone as a mirror. Unfortunately there were little people on the train, so she had the feeling everyone was watching and judging her.

 _"_ _It's written on my forehead I had a crazy night"_ \- she thought.

After about 45 minutes of traveling Thirrin got off the underground. Once went upstairs, she lit on a cigarette. She was smoking it slowly while walking to their house.

Thirrin had doubtful feelings about the events. First of all, she felt extremely lucky because of meeting Theon. He fascinated her and drove her crazy.

 _"_ _Only one person could do this to me. He's wild, a bit dangerous, sassy and a freaking good kisser. He can turn me on in less than a second… Oh God. And the best thing is that he doesn't want any stupid relationship either. If we make clear the rules, the friends with benefits thing could actually work…"_

However, the awkward morning coffee darkened her hopeful mind. Before that accidental party she could totally imagine herself with Robb Stark - he looked charming, he was very kind, generous and quite smart too. And ultimately he was the heir of the Stark Industries. But after the unsuccessful flirt she couldn't look at him anymore as a possible partner. She tried to keep up a good relationship with him, though, because she liked him after all, but it was really hard. Their rapport was rather insecure (although Thirrin could handle people easily). Thirrin preferred forget everything and start with a clean slate, but after this morning it would be pretty hard.

 _"_ _Now he probably thinks I'm the biggest slut in London. Well, fuck off, Robb Stark! Your roommate made me cum countless times and he didn't want to throw up on my shoulders."_

Thirrin threw away the stub and entered to their house. She tried to sneak in unperceivedly, but she failed - her cousin was waiting for her in the living room.

Margaery Tyrell looked flawless and beautiful even though she was wearing an oversize t-shirt, yoga pants and no makeup. Her long light brown curls covered her back, she was holding a cup of green tea and her big brown eyes were flickering.

"Where have you been, Thirrin Woodley?! I worried about you so much! I thought you were kidnapped, you said you would come home! Seriously, you look like you were having sex all night! Oh my God! You REALLY were having sex all night!"

"Calm down, Margaery. It's more exciting WHERE I was having sex all night. I'll take a shower 'cause I smell like a pub at the sea, but after I'll tell you everything. Oh, and please get me something to eat, I'm starving."

Margaery couldn't say a word, she just nodded, still looking at her in astonishment.

Thirrin went upstairs to her room. She took off her clothes, had a refreshing shower and washed her hair. She changed into her favorite snowflake-patterned leggings and a big tshirt and walked down again. She could already smell the fresh waffles from the stairs.

"I love you, Margaery" - she smiled to her cousin.

"I love you too, but please tell me what happened! How went the date with the guy from Tinder?" - Margaery asked.

"The asshole didn't appear but I don't mind, because I found someone much better - Thirrin said while spreading Nutella on the waffel. - "I waited for him about 30 minutes. I drank two Martinis alone! Then a strawberry blonde guy with sexy smile and salty scent came in and sat beside me. He was Theon. We started talking and flirting, we both got a bit drunk and he just… His entire aura was simply magical. I just wanted to get him. Then we went out for a cigarette and he kissed me. We knew instantly the kiss wouldn't be enough. We took a taxi and went to his place. And… Let me just say it was one of the best nights of my life. And not just because of his precious bodyparts. We drank wine, we smoked together and talked… We just got on well… Casually."

"Thirrin, it's… Amazing! You can finally move on that jerk."

"Honey, please don't overdramatize it. I don't want a relationship. I just want somebody to have sex and watch American Horror Story with."

"You're talking like a guy."

"And guys have less relationship problems. Anyway, somehow I stayed there and we slept together. And now comes the funny part. We went downstairs before I left, and you'd never guess who was in the kitchen! Robb Stark!"

"Robb Stark? The cuteness who cannot control himself when it comes to Absolut?" - Margaery asked wonderingly.

"Exactly. I almost got a heart attack. I mean, I came over to a sexy stranger from the night and he's Robb Stark's roommate! But I think he was more flustered than me."

"That's clear darling, your head stays always cold."

"Yes, but still… It was awkward. We go to the same classes, for God's sake!"

"Now you're equal. You saw him total drunk and he heard you screaming several 'Yes'. But tell me about this Theon… Who?"

"Theon Greyjoy. He's Northern Irish. He has beautiful green eyes, strong arms, nice abs and amazing talent for love-making.

Seriously, what he can do with his tongue…"

"Save the details, please. - Margaery interrupted her. - Anything which isn't connected to sex?"

"Well, we both like Lolita, black coffee and American Horror Story. We like the same music. He loves the sea, whisky with ice, and strong cigarettes. His mouth tastes like smoked salt."

"Thirrin!"

"Sorry, I had to… - Thirrin laught. - All in all, he seems okay."

"So now…"

"I'm gonna finish that damn paper for French. Margaery, I won't screw up everything with the girly stuff. I will play like a man. I'll keep things easy and free. If he calls me, okay. If he doesn't, he can fuck himself."

The two girls changed a vivid smile. This new game seemed more than interesting.


	4. Chapter 4

This area of the city - althought it was still situated in the Northern Zone - was way less crowded than the neighbourhood where Robb lived. The air was more fresh, it smelled like fallen leaves and late autumn flowers. In spite of it was already mid November the sun was shining brightly from the clear light blue sky.

After the strange morning interlude Robb desperatly needed to escape somewhere. Fortunately he got a text from his half-brother: he wanted to meet him for a coffee later that afternoon, he wrote he had something important to tell him which couldn't be arranged by phone. So he took the chance and quickly said goodbye to Theon (who was trying to catch up on some strange subject what he called Statics accompanied by several cigarettes and "Fuck this shit!"s).

Robb went to a lovely vintage-underground café where he used to meet his brother and his girlfriend and waited for them in front of the building. Soon he saw them coming. They looked so beautiful, effortless and _artistic_. They were walking holding hands, they had a cigarette in their free hand, both of them were wearing aviators and fashionable yet really unique clothes. The girl's ginger hair was shining with bright red light, the guy's dark curls were messed up as usual. It was obvious they were meant to be together: two unique people bounded by art and deep love.

The two brothers greeted each other with a nice hug and Robb kissed the girl's cheeks. She looked on him with captious face and after some moments she said:

"Wow Stark, you look like a crap."

"Thank you Ygritte, I love when you're being that nice." - Robb wagged.

"But seriously, the circles under your eyes are literally black. Have you slept last night?"

"Not much, I was working on my paper and…"

"ON FRIDAY NIGHT? - she interrupted him. - Jon, I think your brother's lost his mind." - she turned to her boyfriend.

"No I haven't. Now let's get some coffee and tell me why you wanted to meet me today."

All nodded and went in. The interior was too hipster for Robb's taste, but the place had an overall cozy and nice atmosphere. Once

sat down to a table and got their drinks (douple espresso with a lot of milk and milk foam for Ygritte, normal caffé latte for Jon, regular cappucino for Robb,) Jon took a deep breath and started talking:

"So… We haven't met for weeks because I had a lot of work, but I wasn't allowed to tell anyone about the details."

"Yes, you were hiding your iPad like people hid food during the war." - Robb nodded.

"Exactly... But now I can share that I'm in the December issue of Vogue!"

"I'm sorry what?" - Robb asked with his blue eyes widened.

"An editor saw some of my illustrations in the summer and she liked them - Jon continued in excitement. - In September she called me and she wanted me to draw eight pages of fashion illustration. Basically all I had to draw was a story of a fancy Christmas Eve with the recent designer clothes, accessories and all that jazz. She allowed me to do it in my own style, therefore I didn't have to copy the official sketches. Although I haven't really done any serious fashion illustration before, I took the chance. No need to mention that I was offered a ton of money as well. Yesterday it came out."

"I'm so proud of him! It became so beautiful and unique! You have to look at it!"

She reached for her bag, took out a magazine with a familiar-looking blonde on the cover, turned to the right page and handed it to

Robb.

"I'm proud of you too! Man, it's amazing! - Robb said as he was looking through the shiny fresh pages. - 'Christmas like in the Good Old Times, illustrated by Jon Stark' Does our family know about it?"

Jon shook his head.

"Not yet. Since we all go home next weekend, I thought I would tell them then."

"Everyone will be glad, I know. Even mom will love it and she'll be proud of you, I'm sure. You've deserved it since you did your first drawing."

"I hope so - he smiled. - I worked very hard on this."

"And it's not the end! - she cut in. - At Vogue's they loved it so much that he was asked for another six pages into the March issue. Do you know what it means?"

"Khm… No."

"Of course, you know nothing about the world of fashion, Robb Stark! The March and the September issues are the MOST SELLED ones in the entire year! New season, new trends, new faces, everything is new! Therefore everybody buys them in and outside the country! You are the one who studies business, for God's sake!"

"Calm down, baby. But yes, it'll be an even bigger thing. I haven't expected to become a fashion illustrator, but Vogue is a huge step ahead to start my carreer. I still don't have any specific plans, though, but it would be awesome to put my mark on before graduation."

"Darling I know you will. I hate saying it out loud but I'm jealous, because you will have a carreer before me. And I assisted at a Mulberry shooting in the summer!"

"I can do nothing but hope to stay with me anyway."

"I'll think about it, idiot."

They exchanged a vivid smile and kissed each other gently.

" _They're so perfect to each other_ \- Robb thought. - _Jon truly deserves everything what he has reached. He struggled a lot, mostly because of mom, and he works hard for his dreams_."

A little dark thought, however, edged into his mind from last night. He and Jeyne had never shown their feelings in public - partly because they weren't comfortable with it, but mostly because they thought it isn't done between adults. He'd never mind that their relationship wasn't that intense and passionate: they both preferred the balance and neither of them wanted any unnecessary drama.

And still, as they were drinking their coffee in silence and he was looking at his brother's glowing face and her happy smile, he could almost see the air vibrating around them - and he realized he and Jeyne probably had never looked like this and the conclusion made him feel a bit sad and jealous at the same time.

He was lost in his thoughts but Ygritte's sudden question brought him back to reality.

"Now Stark please tell us why are you looking like a crap. What happened last night? Did you finally break up with your distasteful… "

"Fortunately not you are the one who sleeps with Jeyne!"

"Oh really? Do you sleep together? I thought she wears chasity belt!"

"Ygritte, stop! - Jon broke the almost blown-up but common hassle. - We all know you hate her, so you can shake hands with our little sister, but I'm sorry darling, nobody has asked for your opinion now. But it's written on your face Robb that something happened last night. Tell me, please!"

"Thirrin Woodley happened - he sighed.- With Theon."

"Thirrin W… ? With…? Oh God, I'm really sorry, now I totally understand you."

"Guys, I'm confused. Who is this girl? Why is she so special?" - Jon asked.

"Oh stupid you would forget even your own name! - Ygritte said restlessly. - Thirrin Woodley is the posh redhead from Robb's group, she's the pure perfection and Robb tried to pick her up once in a party but a bunch of quality alcohol prevented it in a very… Effective way."

"You've defined the situation very sophisticatedly, congrats."

"Thanks. Now you know, Jon?"

"Yes, and… Oh man, it's crazy! What are you going to do now?"

"Do you think I still want something from her? Well I don't! I'm perfectly happy with Jeyne, those two can do whatever they want"

"Normally I would say that Thirrin Woodley is much better - although I've never met her - but if I were her, I'd never date you, after everything what happened - Ygritte said. - Sorry for my honesty, but you screwed it up, Robb, forever."

"That's what I'm talking about. I have to mention, though, that I've never expected her walking down _my_ stairs with Theon hand in hand, but it's okay."

"If you say so…" - but he saw in his brother's grey eyes that Jon didn't believe him, and a little part of his heart stood on Jon's side.


	5. Chapter 5

"I'm dead and I got into heaven."

Beautiful girl, empty apartment, soft indie music and freaking amazing sex. Theon would never expected more from an average Friday night. Fortunately Robb left home for the entire weekend so nobody could disturb them. They'd just set up the new episode of American Horror Story, the pizza arrived in time and she was searching for something to drink in the fridge - wearing some tiny lace black panties and one of his old tees.

He stretched himself out on the couch. He was still breathing a bit heavily - laying with Thirrin could have actually count as a proper workout, but of course he didn't mind it. He'd never had such an intense connection with any other girl and the new experience was very satisfying.

"You have here some fancy wine, beer, beer again, vodka, some Caribbean rum… Hmm, do you think Robb will be mad if we drink this awesome-looking _sauvignon blanc_?" - Thirrin asked from the kitchen.

"Dunno. Are you a beer or a wine kinda girl?"

"I like both. Okay, beer would be more appropriate for the occasion." - She returned with two open bottles.

"Is there any occasion?" - He asked wonderingly.

"Well, wine would turn the night into a datenight. But since we're sleeping buddies and we're just watching an episode while eating, beer is better. It's more casual."

"But you were wearing a coctail dress when you arrived." - he said with perky smile.

"Yes stupid, because as I already told you I won't stay all night. - Thirrin sat beside him and he put his arm around her small shoulders automatically. - I'm going out with my cousins."

"Okay, I know. You guys are really close, aren't you?"

"You're right. We practically grew up together - Margaery, Loras and me. They have two more elder brothers but Margaery is at the same age as me and Loras is just one year older than us. Since me and my dad have lived in Highgarden for 10 years, I count my cousins as my siblings. Actually." - she said with surprisingly bittersweet smile on her face.

"So my faith is bumping into people with big family." - he made the conclusion.

"What do you mean?" - Thirrin asked

"Robb. He has four… No, actually five siblings. He's the eldest but has a half-brother who is at the same age as him."

"Oh, one-night stand?"

"Yep. When Robb was born his father was in Scotland for business and after some month he returned with a baby. It's crazy. I think Robb's mom still hates the guy. And first I thought at least his family has to be normal!"

"Family is complicated. Everyone thinks just because we're the Tyrells and we own one of the most successful brand in the UK we don't have any problem - she sighed. - Nevermind. Let's leave alone the family thing tonight!"

Theon gladly agreed. Family wasn't his favorite topic to talk about either.

She started the player and they began to eat in silence. At the scarier parts she squeezed his hand - it felt surprisingly good. They started discussing what they had seen unperceivedly - they could talk easily and the silence neither was awkward.

Once finished he stood up and reached for a lighter and a packet of cigarette on the coffee table.

"Dammit, this show always makes me want to smoke - he said. - Would you like one?"

"Same thing by me, go for it! Shall we open the window?"

"Yes, please, Robb would kill me if I filled the whole place with smoke."

She opened the window the widest she could so both had enough place at the window sill. First he lit on her cigarette then his own. They were smoking silently leaning over the window, watching the crowded street.

"Why do you smoke?" - Thirrin asked suddenly.

"I started because I wanted to be alone sometimes and it was my only chance. Then, when I worked on the ship, it was a possible excuse for taking a break - he nearly could believe he opened for her a little bit. - Now it's a habit. And you?"

"I wanted to smoke out my feelings and thoughts, I think. Plus, I love its feeling. When you're with a bunch of people and you go outside with someone for a cigarette, you get close right away. You share the lighter, you're often close physically and you instantly start talking about stuff… It's simply nice for me."

"I think you're right. Speaking of nice things… You have a tattoo too! I haven't noticed it until today."

"Wow, you actually payed attention for what is _right underneath_ my boobs! But, yes, I have a snowflake. I got it when I was 17."

"Snowflakes are your thing?"

"Kind of. Snowflake is my lucky charm. Just like you and your kraken."

"You have some inscription too, "Growing Strong". What does it mean?"

"It's the motto of our brand, but for me it means more. It gives me strength, motivation and it makes me believe I can reach my goals."

"Wow, somebody is secure for sure! And imagine… It makes me crazy."

He blew out the smoke right into her open mouth and kissed her. Thirrin kissed him back, her kiss was fast and hungry. After a moment she slowed down, she kissed his lips teasing him. He lifted her up, she wrapped her toned legs around his waist. She was breathing heavily as he was kissing her pale neck.

"No marks, please - she sighed. - At least where it would be seen. I gotta show up later tonight."

"As you wish, Snowflake."

He put her down on the couch, layed over her and pulled her (actually his) shirt off. He was kissing her collarbones while her lean fingers were slithering up and down on his naked upper body. He hinted soft kisses onto her boobs - her skin seriously tasted exactly like candy cane - and made his way down. He followed with his fingers the contour of the girl's tattoo on her ribs then he stroked through her flat abs until the edge of the black lace while kissing her lips again. He would have ripped off the tiny material right then but he wanted to tease her a little bit more so he started rubbing her through the silk - he could still feel her wetness. While kissing she bit his lips gently, he moaned into her mouth - both were almost tortured by desire.

"What are you waiting for, Greyjoy?" - she whispered as she was pulling down his pants.

"Do you want me this much?" - Theon asked back.

"Just as much you want me. Your body agrees with me."

They smiled to each other, she got rid off every remaining clothing item and let him inside her.

It was crazy and wonderful at the same time. Their bodies were pressed against each other, her legs around his waist, his hands holding her face, they looked into each other's eyes - blue ice with burning fire in it - just before they cum exactly together.

They layed on each other for a good few minutes. Theon was brushing through her soft dark auburn hair, Thirrin hugged him and rested her head on his chest.

"I mustn't tell Robb we have desecreted his livingroom" - he said with sassy smile.

"You're funny. - Thirrin smiled back. - And an amazing lover, Theon Greyjoy."

"Just like you, Thirrin Woodley. I'm glad we met last week."

"Me too. Thanks for not forgetting me."

"You're not that type of girl people could easily forget."

Thirrin kissed his lips softly and sat up. She quickly ran upstairs for her clothes and walked down fully dressed up - black sequin dress, shiny silver pumps, designer purse and black blazer.

"I had a very good time, but I have to go now - she said. - Thank you, Theon. Everything was amazing. I liked watching American Horror Story with you."

"So with you. It was more interesting than alone. Next episode together again?"

"I'm in. Actually you could come over me instead. I'll try to get rid off Margaery for a couple hours. By the way once again, about our… Thing. Nothing romantic, just what you would do with your friends too. Besides sex, of course."

"So you want me to be your friend?"

"With benefits, but honestly, yes. I like talking to you, Theon and I haven't had a good guy friend for so long."

"Although I've never had a girl as a friend but you're a nice company Thirrin, so it's okay for me. Now go and have fun with your cousins!"

"Thank you! Have a nice evening!"

They kissed each other deeply then Thirrin walked out and flagged down a taxi. Theon looked after the widing car for some minutes and went back - surprisingly with no intentions for going out as well.


	6. Chapter 6

As she looked at their reflection on the chromium-plated wall she gladly aquitted they probably were the most attractive guests in the entire place. They looked incredibly similar - same light brown curls, same faceshapes, same brown eyes and same - and excellent - sense of fashion. They couldn't deny they were siblings.

Margaery sighed as she took another sip of prosecco. Spending the night with her brother turned to be actually pretty entertaining. She and Thirrin moved out from Highgarden after they had started going to university but Loras has been still living at home, so he could share with her every family news and gossips. During their big and spicy dinner she learnt how their elder brothers had been doing (one has already worked in the family company and another one was apparently in Paris doing his masters degree in Economic and Commercial) and what happened to their three cousins lately who worked as models and who were in London only for few weeks every year.

"I cannot say thank you enough time. I owe you, Margaery." - he said while sipping fine French chardonnay.

"Don't overdramatize the situation, Loras. I just called you if you wanted to hang out with me, because I would have spent all of the night alone."

"Seriously, I didn't feel like I could abide the blondes who only can talk about numbers, sells and all that boring stuff. Luckily I have the best boyfriend ever who understands if I skip a business dinner because I want to see my little sister and my favorite cousin instead. Where is Thirrin anyway?"

"Thirrin is having _fun_ in the Northern Zone if you know what I mean. But she said she'd join us later."

"Is Lady Thirrin back on track?"

"Kind of. She's found some guy last weekend and they're now… Friends with benefits I guess. I'm sure she will tell you the whole story, she hasn't been so fond of anyone for a long time."

"But you aren't okay with this whole situation." - Loras said looking at his sister's not-that-joyful face.

"I'm sorry what?" - she raised her eyebrows.

"It's written on your face, sis. Are you jealous of Thirrin?"

"No… Maybe. We look quite the same, and still... She walks into a bar and gets a bootycall instantly! I walk into a bar and what do I

get? A prosecco which I pay for!"

"But your prosecco won't suck you in. Besides, she deserves some fun after that…"

"I know, I know - she interrupted him. - But I'm getting tired that everyone I like is either taken, lunatic or gay. No offense."

"Of course. Don't be upset sweetie, your time will come soon!"

"Don't give me these clichés just because you're in a well-working relationship."

"Then what are you waiting for? The night is still young, I'm sure you can get someone."

"I don't want to leave my favorite brother alone" - she smiled gracefully.

"I wouldn't be left alone, our Snowflake is arrived! - Loras said waving back to Thirrin who was walking to their table with happy smile on her face. - Wow baby, you're literally sparkling! I absolutely love this dress!" - he said when she reached their table.

Thirrin gave both of them two kisses on their cheeks - it was a tradition between them.

"Thank you Loras, I love it too. I found it in a lovely small store a couple blocks away from my school."

"It's beautiful but you make it even more amazing! You're shining!"

"Yeah, I had a great warm-up for the night - Thirrin smirked. - I get something to drink, I'll be back in a minute!"

She walked away to the bar and some moments later she returned with a glass of Martini.

"So, where have you left your boyfriend?" - she asked and sit on the free bar chair.

"He had to go to some business dinner. I didn't want to stare at the blondes all night but Margaery saved me."

"Yeah, I called him if he wanted to go out with me - Margaery said. - We had dinner at the Sunspear. It reminded me of the ones we had back in Andalusia and in Morocco, I like the Martells' restaurants… Anyway, after Loras suggested to go to the Tower of Joy…"

"The shisha bar they have re-opened recently?"

"Yes, but I didn't want to, so we ended up here in the Red Keep."

"Sounds great. Hey, if you want I'll go with you some time to the Tower of Joy, I haven't smoked shisha for a long time."

"Okay, honey, we'll talk about it! How has been your night so far?"

"Very… Satisfying. Sex, Freakshow, pizza, beer, cuddling, sex again. It was awesome. We were awesome."

"More exactly? Please, I'm dying to know who is he!"

"He's not your type. No magical blue eyes, no national publishing company… Hey, I'm just joking! Anyway, for some reason he looks hot for me but I can't tell you why. Strawberry blonde messy hair, green eyes, kinda skinny, you know, the one with lean muscles… I don't know how he does it, being so attractive. Maybe because of his smile, but I really don't know."

"Interesting… So now are you ready for a new relationship?"

"Worst question ever" - Margaery said trying not to laugh out loud. Loras looked in her eyes questioningly, and Thirrin gave the answer with calm yet very glacial voice.

"Relationship sucks. It's all about bounds and stupid rules and you end up crying all day, eating ice cream with chocolate bars, listening to sad music and watching trash on TV. But I have certain needs just like everyone else including him, therefore Theon is my permanent bootycall. End of story."

It was obvious she didn't want to share more, so Margaery decided it was enough about Thirrin's evening. She quickly changed the subject instead:

"You haven't told me yet, what have you been doing lately, bro? - she asked her brother. - Is there any interesting project going on?"

"Honestly, no. I'm trying to work on my portfolio, but I've ran out of inspiration. I guess I need more new influence… - he sighed. - But a few days ago I designed my own logo during an especially boring lesson."

"Wow, you still want to have an own brand?" - Thirrin asked wonderingly.

"Sweetheart, I'm getting more and more sure that if I had to design only golden jewerly all of my life I would go insane. I know I'm supposed to be the next creative director and I love what our family represents but I want more… Clothes, haute couture gowns, bags, shoes, even perfumes… - Loras said with dreamy face. - We've talked about it with Renly several times and he said I could handle both: the Golden Rose Inc and my own brand as well. And since dad doesn't have any intention to retire yet, I have time to build my own empire and Renly could easily help me realize it."

"It makes sense… He has connections, so do you, if you work hard on this project and take it serious, you'll get your first store when you'll graduate. Anyway, we're cheering for you." - Thirrin smiled.

"Yes, just make sure we'll sit in the front row all of your fashion shows. Oh, and name something about us!" - Margaery added.

"Of course I'll name something about you, you girls are my best inspiration!"

"Thank you, Loras! Cheers for our charming appearance and personality!" - Thirrin laught raising her glass.

"I rather say manipulative but cheers anyway."

"This is what will make us excellent business women, my dear brother!"

"No doubt! Another round, ladies?"

It was already 2.30 AM, the two girls were walking home slowly. The city was still vibrant with its crowded streets and flashing billboards. Thirrin was smoking a cigarette, Margaery was lost in her thoughts while trying to get away from the way of the smoke in the air. Finally she broke the silence:

"Erm… Thirrin, I've been thinking… More specifically, Loras has just opened up my eyes."

"About what?" - Thirrin asked.

"Our plan! It's time to realize it!"

"What do you want, finance our own brother? Okay, he's only your brother, but still. If he wants capital for his brand, he'll ask

Grandma, plus he's surrounded by influental business people, he doesn't need us in this case, but for the promotion. Front row, free bags, you know the deal."

"Of course not, I'm not stupid! But we could ground our company as soon as we find a young designer that's talented enough to invest."

"Margaery, I really want to have you as a business partner, but neither of us has a degree! Besides, I constantly look for potential designers but I haven't found anyone interesting yet. Let's be realistic, our time hasn't arrived yet. And unfortunately neither of us has a boyfriend who works for the Lannister-Baratheon Cooperation."

"That's the point, Thirrin! I'm being realistic. I love the Golden Rose Inc with all of my heart but I totally get my brother's point - she continued with passion in her eyes. - We aren't specially needed in the family company. The boys will continue the legacy! Loras will be the creative director, Willas will be the owner, Garlan will be in charge of the commercial and that's it! I only could be Garlan's personal assistant, you may could take over your dad's place at the national selling department and I know you don't want this, neither do I. We are meant to be leaders, not employees! Please, at least write a business plan and start the formal process until the end of this year! I have a feeling we'll run into someone very interesting soon."

She looked at her cousin victoriously. She knew she won the battle. Thirrin was staring at the road with her blue eyes narrowed.

"T&M Business Assistance…" - she said after some minutes in thoughtful voice.

"I'm sorry what?"

"It could be our name. I don't think we should use the Tyrell, I prefer the complete distinction from the Golden Rose Inc. We could use my name, but it's as much your idea as mine."

Margaery smiled. Convincing Thirrin about anything was actually pretty hard as their personalities were way too similar.

"Yes, and honestly it sounds great! I'm so full of ideas, would you like to have some brainstorming now?"

"Why not? - Thirrin smiled back. - My mind functions better at night anyway."

They went to the nearest 24/7 Starbucks, ordered some chocolate chip cookies (alcohol made them forget everything about healthy diet), Margaery got a soy milk hot chocolate and Thirrin got a pumpkin spice latte (although Margaery couldn't understand how she could drink anything caffeinated in the middle of the night). Once sat at a table she started the discussion:

"Okay, first let's make clear what we want."

"Supporting as many small brands as possible owning significant part of their proprietary rights" - Thirrin said crunching her cookie.

"Exactly. We'd give them money and connections, we'd organize the campaigns and the advertising, we'd keep in touch with the buyers and the press, their only task would be the actual designing but as co-owners we could influence what would be introduced every season."

"What about the actual producing process? If they have every necessary employees, like taylors, semstrees and the others, it's fine, but if they don't, we should look for these people. Thank the Gods and the globalisation that London is full of skilled migrants who accept basically any kind of job."

"You're right, and I think at first we don't need like an actual factory just few but well - skilled workers who can realize the sketches."

"Perfect. How many parts would we buy?"

"I thought of about 40%"

"That's a lot! Do you think we find someone who'll accept our terms?"

"Sure. Don't forget about one thing, sweetie, these young designers usually don't know anything about business stuff, therefore they accept everything we say! Think of Loras, he gets sick of everything what is connected to rational decisions, logical thinking and maths."

"Agree. And ultimately, we are Tyrell women, we can influence and handle people easier than cooking a proper dinner."

"Actually it's kinda sad but true - Margaery said while making some notes into her phone. - I've quickly looked up what we need to do to launch out on an enterprise. It doesn't seem that complicated."

"If you want, I can ask Dad for a little bit of help - Thirrin suggested. - I'm meeting him on Thursday for lunch."

"Oh, that would be amazing, thank you! I remember when we first came out with our idea, everyone thought we had lost our mind except Uncle D and Grandma."

"My dad is the best, I know - Thirin smiled. - Okay, that's nice so far. Capital, checked. Business plan, I think we'll have to complete it with some other things, but checked. Additional help, checked. Determination and power?"

"Checked. All we need is at least one small brand with a talented designer. But we'll find him or her - she placed her dainty hands on her cousin's pale hands. - We'll grow strong, just like our family says. I believe in us."

"I believe in us, too. I'm so lucky to have you as my cousin, Margaery. Without you I couldn't have got over mom's death or even… You know - she sighed and shook her head. - We'll build an empire together, I know." - she stood up and gave her a warm big hug. Margaery hugged her back, smiling.

"We are more than cousins. Roommates, best friends, sisters, soulmates. I'm lucky too to have you Thirrin."

"Thank you. Speaking of roommates… I think we should go home soon, it's 3.10 AM."

"Okay, let's go! I'll have Pilates tomorrow!"

Fortunately their house were situated just a couple blocks away. Once got home, they went to bed almost right away - both were pretty exhausted but very delighted.

Before she fell asleep, colorful pictures of her fantasy appeared in her mind - most successful new enterprise in the UK lead by two intelligent young women, both beautiful, powerful and dangerous, one is warm like sun, other is cold as ice, both having the gift of easy raising to heaven and destroying to earth. The living proofs you don't need to do what your family expects you to.

 _A/N: Did you like it? Please review!_


	7. Chapter 7

It was strange yet delightful seeing all of his family together. Everyone, including his youngest brothers, was nicely dressed up, however, he could see on their faces they rather wear something more comfortable.

Since him and Jon moved out of the huge old mansion called Winterfell last year, they didn't spend as much time at home only few days in a month (and as for Jon, even less). But these days always made Robb happy and relieved. He knew he was lucky to have a home like this to return to.

As he looked at his calmly chatting family he instantly found serendipity - they seemed just the same as always. His parents were talking quietly and peacefully, one side of his mother's beautiful face was shrouded by her long auburn hair which was very similar to his as well as her blue eyes. People always used to say he was the male version of Catelyn. Jeyne was asking Sansa about her college plans and she was happy to share her doubts about the issue. She would graduate from high school in spring and after her last short but way too terrible summer relationship she buried herself into her studies and other duties. The dark circles under her bright blue eyes cleary proofed it. Arya was talking to Jon without even thinking of stopping. He smiled as his eyes met theirs, he knew they had always been the closest all of the siblings. Big, elegant yet cozy dining hall, familiar flavours of delicious dinner and beloved faces - all of them made Robb forget instalty about what would be happening paralelly in his apartment back in London.

Right before the starter Jon suddenly stood up, rooted through his messy dark curls and cleaned his throat. Robb and Ygritte gave him a heartening smile - both knew what he wanted to say.

"I'm glad we're all together because I have something important to tell you - he began. The room hushed. - I've never been good at speeches but I think it's worth a try… I remember when I first told you I want to do something with graphic design in the future. I was sixteen back then and I'm sure you thought I was insane since all you saw of my obsession were my always dirty hands covered with lead and coal and some drawings. And ultimately, getting into London Art&Design School is really hard. But you let me work on my dreams and even made sacrifies for me, which I couldn't be more grateful for since I'm not a true Stark - he said with hint of bitterness in his voice. - I got in on the third place, I nearly could believe it. But what happened to me a few weeks ago was even more unbelievable. During my summer internship my boss showed an editor from Vogue - one of the most sold magazines in the country - some of my illustrations. They weren't anything big or planned just skratches of some nicely dressed girls but she liked them and asked for my number. In September she called me and asked me for a job giving me the biggest opportunity of my life so far. I had to draw eight pages of Christmas - related fashion illustration to the December issue. I took the chance because it would have been madness letting it go and honestly for some reason I like drawing fashion-related stuff. I was working on this project in the last few weeks, it was tough and I had to keep it a secret but now I can proudly announce: it came out this week and according to the critics it turned out very well, actually - he sighed with big smile on his face, finally. - I have to thank all of you because without your support I don't think I could have got into my current school which lead me to Vogue. Thank you, again."

Long deep silence set in the room. Robb could feel the tension vibrating in the air. All the eyes were widened, no one said a word. Then Sansa's sudden scream broke the ice ("OH MY GOD, MY BROTHER IS IN VOGUE!" - It was her first time calling Jon her brother.) and everyone started congratulating him simultaneously.

As he looked at his mother Robb saw in Catelyn's eyes kindness and warmth - something which never had been seen before whenever she had interacted with Jon. Even she seemed very proud of him. Robb smiled even more widely and squeezed Jeyne's soft hand under the table. He thought the weekend getaway couldn't be ruined now. But he was wrong.

They already were eating the dessert when Catelyn dropped in the question that changed everything for Robb:

"It's almost December, Christmas is right around the corner so I would like to know when are you - she looked at him and Jon - going to come home for the holidays. I know you all have exam season and you might not know your schedules yet so you don't have to be super concrete just give me some strong point."

Robb was about the answer but Jon overtook him:

"Actually, we won't come home for Christmas as well as New Year's."

"What the hell are you talking about? - Ygritte asked with wide eyes. - Sorry, Mrs S."

"Shit, I wanted to tell you only on Wednesday! Sorry, Catelyn... Anyway, I had some savings, the money from Vogue and since we didn't go on an actual vacation because both of us were flogging ourselves to death all summer and our anniversary is on Wednesday… I booked two tickets and a flat for the holidays in Paris." - Jon said smiling modestly but his eyes were sparkling with happiness.

"Paris? Like Paris, France? You're saying you're taking me to PARIS? We're spending Christmas in PARIS?"

"Yes. Shall I repeat? Two weeks in Paris, including Christmas, New Year's and as many contemporary exhibitions as you would like to."

"Oh my freaking Goodness… Sorry Mrs S., but you have to understand me… My crazy artist boyfriend, who always forgets about paying rent and buying food and who draws fancy dresses in his free time, is taking me to PARIS… I need to compass it… " - she couldn't find words, but she wasn't alone. Nobody thought Jon would be this romantic type.

"It's such a cute gesture! - Jeyne whispered smiling. - We should go somewhere too, in the summer, don't you think?"

"Yeah, you're right…" - Robb said but he didn't look in her eyes.

He got very, very, very confused. The tables have turned and suddenly _he_ was the one who got jealous of his half - brother. Rising carreer, loving girlfriend… And there he was with his average studies and average relationship which was like a 20-year-long marriage. No flames, no fire. And in the center of the whole mess there was a girl with wavy auburn hair, ice-blue eyes, the most seductive voice and the most rounded butt in the whole universe…

"Why, why, why did Thirrin Woodley have to become the actual part of my life in this way? - he asked himself. - Why with Theon? Why with my best friend?" - he kept asking himself while the dinner continued.

Later, when everyone was already sleeping, Robb sneaked out to the back terrace. He didn't put on any light, he used the screen of his phone as a flashlight. He was wearing his old grey high school hoodie as the night was quite chilly.

The hush of the outskirt was too deep for him after the rushing and vibrant city, he only heard his own breath. The sky was dark blue, almost black, full of tiny stars.

He sat on a stair and stared in the darkness, his head resting on his palms.

After some minutes he heard the door open. He turned around and he saw his half - brother appearing. In one hand he was holding his phone, in the other a packet of cigarette and a lighter.

"We heard you were leaving and Ygritte said I should check on you - Jon said and sat beside him. - Are you okay?"

"Honestly, I don't know. Could I have one?" - Robb asked.

"Then you're down. Here you are. Strong but tastes like cherry, I hope it's okay - he gave him a cigarette and handed him the lighter, then Jon got out another one for himself. - What's wrong, bro?" - he asked while blowing out the smoke.

"Please, don't take it personal. Like seriously - he sighed. - But at dinner, when Mom asked us about Christmas and you said you'll leave for the holidays Jeyne said we also should go to somewhere. To be honest I've never thought about taking her anywhere because we always have some school or work stuff and everything is messed up anyway… Oh Gods I don't even know why we are still together! Again, don't blame yourself, you perfectly deserve to be happy with the girl you love."

Jon looked into his eyes for some moments. Then he said in meaningful, slow voice:

"Robb, I hate to say it out loud, but I think you're still into Thirrin Woodley."

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"I know you liked her, like really. I also know that you screwed it up and it can't be easily helped. But the fact that she's with Theon Greyjoy now… It bothers you, it's written on your face every time you're forced to talk about it."

"No, I'm not into Thirrin Woodley - he said, maybe too soon. - Yes, I think she's amazing, but so does everyone else who once met her. She just stucks in your mind and won't leave it."

"I'm not convinced. Show me this girl, I want to see why she is so special."

"I'm sure you've seen her before but if you want to…" - Robb quickly looked for a picture of Thirrin and he ended up with her profile picture. He handed his phone to Jon who stared at the screen for some moments. Thirrin looked beautiful, of course, smiling, with her long wavy dark reddish brown hair put aside, wearing a nice navy blue sleeveless dress with a silver snowflake in her neck.

"You're right - Jon said. - She's beautiful. In a cold high-stepper way. I already can feel the power you were talking about."

"Cold… How good metaphor. She's high above everyone. And you can't be sure about her. She's open and mysterious, appealing and thrusting at the same time. You might think she's just a pretty high society rich girl, but she's so much more than this. She's a breathing and walking mystery." - Even Robb got surprised by himself and the way how he was talking about Thirrin. She was impressive for sure but seriously this much?

"I see." - Jon nodded. He was looking in the darkness, slowly smoking his cigarette.

"Hey, bro, I know what you're thinking of - Robb said. - I might be a little bit attracted to Thirrin, but I won't try again by her. Mostly because Theon is my best friend and although they're not together, like in a proper relationship, I still have diginity and honor towards him. No, it's not about them. Or at least in this sense. No, I think… - he sighed. - I just don't know whether I still love Jeyne or not."

"Oh… I'm sorry Robb, I truly am. What you wanna do now?"

"That's the problem. I don't know if I should break up with her. Maybe it can be fixed. She's pretty, nice and smart, Mom and Dad like her… I just don't feel the chemistry working between us, like between you and Ygritte or even between Theon and Thirrin. I can't tell you the last time we had sex, for God's sake!"

"Look, I'm not a girl expert but I may can tell you something useful. You've already promised Catelyn to take Jeyne home for Christmas, so if you want, you can try to fix things up. However, if you really don't love her, you two should break up before it becomes even more complicated. I'm sure you don't wanna cheat on her."

"Yes, I don't - Robb nodded. - I'll think about it. Thanks, Jon."

"No problem. But Robb… - he changed the subject with a little bit of insecurity in his voice.- There's something I have to tell you and I can't tell anyone else. Mostly because it isn't fixed yet, so please promise me you'll keep it as a secret."

"Sure, bro, what's up?"

"I… I want to propose her."

"You want what?"

"I love Ygritte more than anyone in this world, I want to be with her until the rest of the days. I know she feels the same. That's why I'm taking her to Paris. I'll propose her there. I don't want to be too cheesy, no Eiffel Tower or things like this. Random morning coffee or at the surrealistic department at the Louvre, so something which is more like… Her."

"Man, it's a very serious decision… But I know you guys are serious. Good luck, Jon!"

"Thank you. And Robb… Head up! I hope you'll get through this soon."

"Me too. And thanks for the smoke. I think we should go back to sleep."

Jon nodded and they went back to the house.

Robb's mind was full of thoughts and doubts. The latest news made him even more confused. He knew he had to share them with someone else, with a strawberry blonde womanizer who happened to be his rommate and who might be screwing right now the most admirable creature on Earth...


	8. Chapter 8

It was nearly six in the afternoon. He sat on the couch with his laptop beside him, surrounded by several notes, textbooks and sketches. He was trying to catch up with his projects for school due next week.

The weekend turned out just as good as he had imagined. Having a friend with benefits was a completely new situation but he had been enjoying it. On Saturday afternoon he called Thirrin if she wanted to come over again and "watch something else". She said yes, brought some Chinese food and they ended up watching Friends, drinking beer, smoking and talking intensely interrupted by some rounds of sex. This time she didn't look as fancy as the previous day. She was wearing dark ripped skinny jeans, basic grey tshirt, leather jacket and no makeup. In spite of her simple casual look she was still beautiful. He sighed as he recalled the taste of her kiss, the silkiness of her hair, the minty scent of her skin, the touch of her cold hands and her special, a bit deep voice.

It was so easy talk to her. They had common sense of humor, both were sarcastic and they could laugh on basically anything. For the first time in his life Theon tried to actually get to know a girl but in spite of the long conversations about (mostly) silly things it was hard.

He understood well why Robb found her so fascinating. At a glance she seemed a typical downtown chick with ridiculously expensive shoes but she was different. In some respects she didn't have girly opinion and there was some kind of mystery in her which attracted him a lot.

He heard through his earpods the door open.

"It must be Robb." - he thought.

He was right. His friend literally bumped into the room with strange expression on his face.

"Hey Stark, what's up? - Theon asked. - You seem upset."

"He's proposing her" - he answered anxiously.

"What the heck?" - He couldn't guess who Robb was thinking of.

"They are going to Paris and he's going to propose her then!"

"Speak in English, Stark! Who the hell are you talking about?"

"Jon, you know, my brother! He said they won't be at home for the holidays because he's taking Ygritte to Paris and later he told me he wants to marry her." - Robb said in calmer voice but still really fast.

"Oh, I see."

Theon only met Robb's half - brother few times during some nightouts. He always thought the black-haired guy was a little bit crazy and weird but he was an artist after all. At least his ginger - haired girlfriend was kinda hot.

"That's all you can say? 'I see.' ?"

"What else should I say? Bless them, I hope they'll invite me to the wedding and the ginger has pretty cousins…"

"Could you be a little bit less… you for a moment?" - Robb cut in.

"Oh Gods don't be like a drunk teenage girl on her period - he rolled his eyes. - What's the real matter?"

"I think… After everyone hears about the engagement, what if Jeyne wants me to marry her?"

 _Marriage? Are you insane Robb Stark?"_

"Break up with her. Inmediately." - Theon said looking straight into Robb's eyes.

"Why?" - he asked.

"Firstly, because you're only twenty. Secondly, because she's boring. Thirdly, because it was your worst idea ever getting together with her. Seriously, you could have so much better girls! Fourthly, because if you married her, in ten years you would commit either homicide or suicide."

"I can't break up with her, at least not now. I've already promised Mom to take Jeyne home for Christmas!"

"Stark, you've been planning to have a 'deep and serious talk' with her since forever. Don't be a pussy and do it finally! Or simply text her like 'Sorry, it's not working a while now. Goodbye. Return my stuff. Thanks.' "

"Only you can be that jerk to break up through text. Nevermind, I'll figure out something. I'll talk to her soon, but only after Christmas. I don't want any scandal."

"But there's more than one month until… Okay, I shut up. Anything else?"

"Jon announced the Vogue-thing too. Everyone was happy over the news, even Mom congratulated him, which was a bit weird but actually nice. That's all. Tell me about your weekend, I bet it was way better than mine."

"Exactly. I finally managed to understand what the fuck we are doing on Statics. I finished designing that machine, after my fingers were black because of the freaking lead. I HATE doing projects on paper, I can't imagine how your brother can be obsessed with it. Oh, and Thirrin was here - he added. - Twice."

"Oh - Robb raised his eyebrows. - What did you guys do?"

"You really wanna know it?"

"You're right, I don't… But seriously, twice?"

"Jealous, Stark?" - Theon smirked.

"Fuck off, Greyjoy - he gave him a dark look. - Could you do me a favor and not talk about Thirrin Woodley? She would be the icing on the fucking cake."

"As you wish… Relax and don't take everything so serious! Smoke out your thoughts, Young Wolf!" - he yelled after Robb who stormed upstairs into his room.

Theon knew he probably went too far away, but holy shit, why does Robb have to be so sensitive about Thirrin?

 _"_ _I'm sorry you didn't have the balls to ask her out back then. She's not that scary after all, is she?_ \- he thought. - _Man, you seriously need to fuck someone, like, now. You wouldn't have made such a big thing of this engagement plan. But really, in Paris? Looks like Lonewolf Stark has read some cheesy girly books. I always knew he's totally weird."_

He reached for his phone, unlocked it, opened the iMessage and typed a message quickly:

"Promise me only one thing, Snowflake. We won't have any stupid teen dramas, I'm sure we all have had enough of them."

The answer arrived in less than a minute:

"You couldn't be more right. We're adults after all. No drama, just pure fun! - winky emoji"


	9. Chapter 9

Margaery Tyrell could finally see her future clearly and the fact made her fulfilled with joy. She couldn't wipe off the happy smile from her face as she walked out of the Regents University's building, where she studied Fashion Marketing.

For a long time she didn't know what to do with her life. All the Tyrells (and their in-law relatives) traditionally worked for the Golden Rose Inc or at least in fashion industry. Since she was on the petite side, she was unable to be a model like her other cousins. Margaery always wanted to be a leader but she knew she could never be the head of the company because of her elder brothers. She could have chosen being a high society IT girl who lives on her family's money and her last name but Margaery was more ambitious. She didn't want to go to parties, fashion shows and other society events without purpose. Luckily she always had Thirrin by her side and the two girls happened to share dreams, ambitions and goals. Both could handle people easily, Margaery was better at this as her personality was more open and kinder while Thirrin was a trueborn cold-headed business woman. They made an excellent team no matter if it came to dance through the night, hooking up with the hottest men in the South or grounding a company. She looked in the future with confidence about their plan.

 _"I'm sure we'll make more profit than Loras Everyone's-Favorite Tyrell!"_

This kind of thoughts were storming in her mind when a ginger-haired girl with giant Canon, dressed in khaki skinny jeans, dark brown fur vest and suede ankle booties stopped her:

"Hey, sorry, could I take some pictures of your outfit?"

"Erm… I suppose, but why?" - she asked back. She got used to be photographed on different parties and fashion-related events, sometimes they even appeared in magazines but she had never been stopped on the street for the same reason.

"I need them for my semester project, which is a street style portfolio. Like a street stlye blog but printed version. I think you would fit into my conception. I've been looking for effortless chic WITH COLORS for ages. All I need is your permission, your first name and your age."

"Sounds interesting, I'm in, thank you - she smiled. Her outfit was on point as always, wearing a blue autumn dress with golden details, trench coat, oversize scarf, high heels, designer bag and her favorite Golden Rose charm bracelet. - I'm 20, my name is Margaery. And you are…?"

"Oh sorry, I haven't introduced myself. I'm Ygritte. And I thank you too. So, shall we begin? Be natural, show me your best side!"

Margaery knew exactly how to look incredibly good on photos but when Ygritte showed her the results, even she was amazed. The golden pattern reflected the scanty sunshine lightly, every detail was perfectly in focus, she looked overall flawless and gorgeous.

 _"_ _Wow, this girl is actually talented not just a simple wannabe!"_ \- she thought and took a step further right before they would have said goodbye:

"If you have some time maybe we could drink a coffee and you could tell me more about your project. I'm very interested in fashion" - she said smiling warmly, in her most convincing voice.

She hesitated for a moment but after she nodded:

"Okay, coffee would be awesome."

They went to a nice place near they had met. Margaery went for her favorite coconut soy milk latte but Ygritte ordered triple espresso with nearly a pint of milk and extra foam on top.

 _"_ _Someone who drinks more caffeine than Thirrin, now that's interesting._ " - she thought.

"Calm down, I won't get a heart attack - Ygritte said reacting to her face expression. - It's just a part of my daily consume. Besides being art student I share my food and my bed with another one, so I really don't have any other choice."

"Oh okay, I see. So, tell me more about your project! How did the idea come?"

"I love the typical London street style. It's colorful and unique yet there's some kind of equalency in every single outfit: the spirit of the city. I'm originially from Scotland and when I moved here I got very impressed by people's sense of fashion."

"What do you mean by equalency more specifically?"

"The London vibes, you know. The effortless, I-don't-give-a-shit-what-you-think-of-my-outfit attitude. Everyone knows they look stylish and trendy and they aren't afraid to show it. People, like the ones in my school, people I run across in the street, like you. When I read about "London vibes" earlier I thought it's bullshit but I had to experience the opposite."

"Yeah, that's true. We Londoners really know how to look good in every situation. And you adopted it very well!"

"Thank you. Actually I got interested in fashion photography here. I mean, I've always liked fashion, but London is full of awesome opportunitites, it just takes a bit effort to find them. I still love the creative side of photography, capturing moments and stuff, but with this fashion thing I could make significant amount of money, which is also important."

"Definitely true. Boring necessities like paying bills and eating are real. At least you like this field, don't you?"

"Yeah, I do. By the way, it may sound weird but are you related to the new Mulberry girl? Elaina or something like this, with E... I don't remember exactly, though I assisted the whole photoshoot… Anyway, I was thinking about why you seem so familiar and I figured out you take after her a little bit."

"Her name is Elinor and she happened to be my cousin."

"Damn! The world is so little… But wait, then you're a Tyrell, aren't you?"

"Yes, I am, but it isn't the only reason why I wear Golden Rose jewerly. I like my Dad's work, although Grandma always says the last few collections lack of creativity more than ever. I think they're just simply classic."

"Holy shit, my life is getting crazier and crazier… I have Margaery Tyrell for my semester final project, I bet you'll bring me A+! Anyway, you seem pretty normal for a high society girl… - she said with captious face. - I mean, I think you can use your… Brain. For girls like you their last name is usually enough. But you seem smart, which is good. I think most of the women are stupid and pathethic, but there are some exceptions, luckily."

Margaery just smiled while trying to read between the lines. Ygritte reminded her of Thirrin in a lot of aspects: both had strong, meaningful thoughts, and poor opinion about other women. She seemed ambitious and talented, unless she wouldn't have got the chance to assist the Mulberry shooting. Margaery knew she could use this connection in the - hopefully - near future, but she also realized her usual slowly-slightly manipulative technic won't work in this case. Clear talk was the only solution.

"Listen to me. I think you're an amazing photographer, based on the pictures you've taken of me - though if I could see some other ones, I'd be more than happy. Anyway, me and my cousin - the only one who isn't a model - are planning to ground a business assistance company, more specifically, we want to invest into developing small fashion brands. Our plan is to arrange basically every formal and management process instead of them so they could concentrate on their work better. Campaigns and things like that are included as well."

"You're saying I could do a whole campaign for you?" - Ygritte cut in, her eyes widened.

"Exactly. Of course, I have to show your work to my cousin but I'm sure she'll be just as convinced as me. It would be beneficial for you, too. Let's exchange numbers and as soon as we find someone, I'll call you."

She could see on her face she was thinking deeply. For some minutes none of them said a word, just looked in each other's eyes, without blinking. But then Ygritte smiled and said:

"Okay, I'm in. Here's my phone, add your number to my contacts."

Margaery nodded and handed her own phone for the same reason. She noticed her background picture - it was a photo of her and a handsome guy with messy dark curls, cute smile and big shoulders, both wearing plaid flanel shirt and leather jacket. They looked good together. _Must be her boyfriend. He's hot. Lucky bitch!_

She quickly made a new contact and gave her back her phone.

"Thank you. Here's yours. Oh, and I added a note, too, with my Flickr gallery. I usually upload my work there, you can check it out."

"We'll definitely do it!"

"Okay, if you have some observation, feel free to share them with me. But I have to go now, I have some more errands to run. Anyway, it was a pleasure to meet you Margaery."

"And you too. Oh, and if you know someone who happened to be a designer and wants to have their own brand, call me, please!" - with that, she kissed her on the cheeks and watched the pretty ginger walking out of the door. Margaery drank the last sip of latte, put some money on the table and left the place. While walking to the underground station, she wrote Thirrin a message:

"Met a photographer today, exchanged numbers for our business. She's freaking talented, I'll show you her work later. She's kinda nice, you should meet her too. TMI: her boyfriend is hot like hell, hope he's got a brother as hot as him. :P;)"

 **A/N: Even though university's just started I'm continue writing this story, I have lots of ideas for the upcoming chapters. Follow &review if you like my work! Next one is coming soon!**


	10. Chapter 10

"Greyjoy, I need your help." - Thirrin started her phone call, without any greetings.

"About what?" - Theon asked, who had just returned home from school.

"Math 3. You take this subject, don't you?"

"Yes, I actually do… Why?"

"I need you to come over and explain this goddamned thing to me. It's somehow connected to distribution, I guess."

"Like, now? It's 6 PM, I've just got home and I'm freaking hungry!"

"Don't worry, I'll order something. Please, Theon! I usually ask my cousin for help but he texted me he won't be able to do it now. I'll be very thankful, I promise. Margaery's just left for Pilates and won't be back until like 9 or 10 PM."

"Okay, I'll be right there… - he sighed. - But wait, Snowflake, where do you live exactly?"

"Take the underground and go southern direction. You have to get off at the Hyde Park station, then walk two blocks, then turn left on the second street, walk down that street, on the end turn right and you're at our building. It takes total about 1 hour."

"Gosh, that's a lot… Nevermind, I'll leave in a minute."

"Thanks, I'm waiting for you!"- she hung up.

So Theon turned back and went to the underground station. Random hookup on an ordinary Wednesday seemed like a good idea, even if he had to explain some problems and equations for that. He stared into nowhere as he sat on the train, his phone was in shuffle mode, playing his favorite indie rock playlist.

Life had been quite normal in the last few days. Both were busy with school, Robb brushed under the carpet the events of the weekend and Theon didn't mention that he was texting with Thirrin basically all the time.

When he went upstairs from the station, he got surprised how posh this area looked. Perfect buildings with tasteful and nice Christmas lights, in which the rent was so high he couldn't even imagine. Inhabitants who eat at one of the Dornish restaurants every evening and don't care much about living costs. London was a rich high-stepper city, much more different than Northern Ireland or even than Miami and the Caribbeans, but Theon only realized it then, as he was walking in the annoyingly wealthy area.

He couldn't help but smile when he saw Thirrin in front of one of the houses. She was wearing dark grey sweatpants with black hoodie, her hair was put in a bun on the top of her head leaving uncovered her beautiful pale neck. She was smoking while drinking (probably) coffee from a huge mug.

"I'm here to save you Snowflake!" - he said.

"Finally! I tried to solve some problems while I was waiting for you but I still don't understand anything. I NEED to pass this test at least with 60%, unless I have to take the fucking exam. I don't want to waste my time with fucking math anymore."

"Take it easy, Thirrin. Finish your smoke and let's see what we can do."

"Thanks, Greyjoy. By the way, you look good today."

"I always look good, sweetie!"

He wasn't wearing anything special - black combat boots, black jeans, dark blue shirt, black leather jacket, his hair was messy, plus he hadn'd shaved for days, but somehow he liked her compliment.

"Your're literally my last hope - Thirrin continued. - Really, if I have had anybody else to help me, I wouldn't have commanded you to come over. But the entire class is like "What the fuck is this? What the fuck is THAT?" and Garlan isn't available now because he's showing off his pretty face at a conference. So it's your turn to do some magic."

"Yeah, I guess I know what you're taking and I think I can explain it, unless it's economic math."

"No, it's the simple math 3, you know, the 3-semester-long basic subject that everyone takes who studies math-related things."

"Okay then. But my magic always comes with a price!" - he smirked.

"You're such a nympho, Greyjoy… - Thirrin rolled her eyes. - Whatever. Come in!"

He followed Thirrin into the house. At first sight the apartment seemed elegant, sophisticated and girly. In the hall there were at least

ten different coats hanging and a million pairs of shoes on the shelves.

They went upstairs to Thirrin's room. The place was quite big, or at least bigger than his. Its colors were mostly cold: white furniture, dark wooden and blue details with a hint of silver. There was a big white wardrobe with white dresser, some shelves full of books and little objects, a dark desk with a silver laptop and office chair. It had a little balcony as well, which looked to the quad. On the wall, over the double bed there was a big heart-shaped photo collage. The bed was covered with throwpillows, some books and notebooks. The whole room looked very _Thirrin-ish._

"Have a seat! Here's the description of the material, but I think it's useless. Oh, do you need anything? I've already ordered dinner, Indian, I hope it's okay, but I can make you a coffee or something." - Thirrin said.

"No, I'm okay. Can I see what you've already done?"

"Sure." - she handed him a notebook and sat beside him on the bed.

Theon quickly looked over the notes and calculations written with sharp, scratchy handwriting while Thirrin was staring at him, like she really would expect some miracle. Then he reached for a pen and a calculator and started re-doing the first exercise Thirrin had failed.

"I know a formula which makes this easier to do and understand - he explained while writing. - You have to divide the first partial result with the quadrat of the given item, then multiply it by the variate. Got it?" - he underlined the final result twice.

Thirrin nodded slowly.

"Yeah, I think so. How do you know this?"

"From school? Engineers like doing things the easiest and fastest way possible."

"Okay. Could you transform it into a blanket formula?"

"Sure. There's three more, I give you all, then try to do some exercises using them."

He wrote down all the four formulas and gave back the notebook. Thirrin smiled, opened a book and started solving a problem. Theon was watching her as she was writing. She looked incredibly sexy as she was chewing her lips and twisting her babyhair while thinking. He leant closer to her, put his arm around her slim waist and his hand onto her thigh.

"This one seems correct. Try another one!" - he whispered.

Thirrin nodded and began to write down the given data but suddenly dropped the pen and looked into his eyes furiously:

"Could you please place your hand elsewhere? I cannot concentrate if you keep rubbing my thigh!"

"I wasn't rubbing your thigh."

"Whatever, back off, Greyjoy - she shook her head but he noticed she was breathing more heavily. - I know what you want and you're gonna get it as soon as I completely understand everything." - she returned to her work.

"So caressing your thighs turns you on?" - he asked fiercely.

"This question doesn't help either." - she didn't even glance at him.

"But seriously. What turns you on?"

"You know it very well."

"I wanna hear it from you."

"Okay then - she closed her notebook. - Sassiness. Smile. Good smell. Nice hands, strong but lean. Back muscles. V-line. Confidence. Mouth that tastes like smoke. Lip biting while kissing. Intelligence. And a tiny bit of arrogancy. You?"

"Long hair. Silky skin, almost transparent. Full lips. Sharp collarbones. Making out under the sea. Rounded butt. Neck kissing. Decadence."

"Neck kissing in which way? When you do it or when you get it?"

"Both. What about your… 'arrogancy'?"

"You seriously ask me? - she laughed. - It's your everyday attitude: 'I'm the king of the sea, I sleep with mermaids and I don't give a shit what you think about me.' And the most annoying thing about it is that you OWN it, Greyjoy. And that's smoking hot."

" _She sees through on me. This is frightening." -_ he thought. However, he didn't say it out loud.

"I take it as a compliment, Snowflake." - he smiled.

"I meant so. But what about decadence? Do you go for trashy girls?"

"There's a difference between decadent and trashy. Trashy girls open their legs for everyone and they're desperately want to be fucked hard, while a decadent girl admits she likes sex and isn't afraid to try something new. Just like you."

"If you think about decadence in the Gatsby-way, I'll accept it."

They were looking in each other's eyes, not saying a word. Theon could feel the air pulsing around them, his entire body was already burning inside just because of the touch of Thirrin's cold hands. She said exactly what he was thinking of:

"I can't concentrate of the fucking distribuition anyway…" - she grabbed his face and kissed him hard. He kissed her back, their tounges dancing wildly. She climbed onto his lap, unhooked his belt and her right hand went straight into his pants. He moaned as she caressed him so softly yet strongly that he was afraid he would finish before the best part. Luckily or unluckily Thirrin stopped for a moment to take off her tee and search for a condom in the nightstand. Theon followed her example, got off as many clothes as he could in 30 seconds and took advantage of the fact that he was kneeling behind Thirrin (who tried to rip off the package with shaking hands), grabbed her boobs from behind and kissed her neck. Feeling and tasting her flawless minty-scented skin made him even more crazy. With his free hand he carefully started removing her pants. He wasn't surprised when he felt lace under the cotton.

"That's why I called you decadent" - he whispered to her ear.

Thirrin turned back, smiling, with burning fire in her ice-blue eyes.

"The decadent girl wants you to fuck her - she said while putting on the condom very slowly and very seductively. - Hard" - she added, when she finished.

"Be careful what you wish for." - Theon smiled back before he entered.

Later he only could recall the feelings. Her pulsing body around him, the taste of her mouth, the screams, the scratches on his back, and the way they looked at each other as they finished together - again.

"Wow. It was awesome - Thirrin said after some minutes, still catching her breath. - First partial result divided by the quadrat of the given one, then multiplying the whole thing with the variate. Who knew I learn so fast after a nice round?"

"It's exam season soon Snowflake - he smirked. - Maybe I learn fast too in this way."

"I don't know about you but during exam season I tend to be very nervous and according to studies sex helps relieving the stress level."

"We can do an experiment, if you want to…"

They suddenly heard the bell ringing.

"Oh, dinner is here! - Thirrin jumped out of the bed, quickly got dressed and ran downstairs. - I'll be back in a minute!" - she yelled from the stairs.

Now that he was left alone (and put on some clothes too) he looked at the photos over the bed. There were many of them, range selection of everyday moments and special occasions. Sunsets, holidays, group pictures taken in nice clubs, on festivals and on board, graduation photos, simple snapshots. In a lot of pictures Thirrin was together with a girl who took after her a lot. Same heart-shaped face, same petite and slender figure, similar smile, however, this girl had light brown hair, brown eyes and peachy skintone. She looked overall warmer and more extroverted. He was wondering who she could be, when Thirrin returned.

"I love many things about sex, and eating after doing it is definitely one of them" - Thirrin handed him a plate.

"I couldn't agree more, you deserve a high-five, Snowflake."

They laughed and started eating really fast.

"Gosh, that's awesome - Theon sighed with his mouth half full. - Or I guess I've been hungry enough to eat basically anything."

"Considering that we burned about eight hundred calories ten minutes ago, I'm not surprised. By the way, I saw you were observing my collage. Do you like it?"

"Yeah, it's pretty cool. I can see you've traveled a lot. Only in Europe?"

"Also in Africa, but I've never crossed the ocean. I've been in France - like Alpes, Riviera, Paris -, in Spain - like Ibiza, Barcelona, Andalusia, Tenerife-, in Amsterdam, in Rome, in Tuscani, in Marakkech, and we cruise some weeks in Greece every year."

"Cool - he nodded. Cruising meant something different for him. Aquamarine endless sea, palm trees, white sand and beautiful mixture girls. But also fresh start, new beginning, chance for a new life. He smudged away the distracting thoughts and memories about a much harsher and rougher seaside. - Who's the guy on that photo?" - he asked instead pointing at a group picture. There were four people on it: Thirrin, the almost-Thirrin-girl, a guy who looked too _pretty_ to be straight and a handsome guy who rested his arm around Thirrin's waist. The guys were wearing tux and bowtie, while the girls were dressed up in white long evening gown.

"Are you being jealous? - Thirrin laught. - If he were my ex, I would have already got rid of the picture. No, he's Garlan, my cousin."

"Who helps you via FaceTime?"

"Yes. Everybody is my cousin on that picture, actually. The girl is Margaery, you know, my roommate slash best friend, and the other guy is Loras. It was taken on our debutation ball."

"Debutation ball? - Theon asked with wide eyes. - Do you live in the 19th century or what?"

"No, we're just Tyrells, which means our family belongs to London's high society and we have to attend events like this. Grandma insisted to go to the debutation ball when we were sixteen. We didn't have a boyfriend back then and didn't want to be escorted by some douchebags either, so we asked Garlan and Loras to be our partners. Mine was Garlan. It was a good party, after all. I drank an entire bottle of Dom Pérignon AND took some shots of Absolut, then I made out with a guy in the ladies' room. Which was three times bigger than a normal one. Fun fact, I didn't lose my virginity there only because the guy was so drunk he didn't know how to go under my dress. Also, I was too drunk to unzip his pants."

"You must have been truly drunk. I mean, I've even had blackouts and stuff, but I've never been that drunk that I couldn't have gone down on a girl."

"We were teenagers, with a lack of experience! Spoiled and restless teenagers…" - Thirrin sighed. - "I take these down - she collected the empty plates. - Would you like anything else?"

"No, thanks. - he shook his head. - But what about going outside for a smoke?"

"Okay, cool."

She ran downstairs and returned in less than a minute. She opened the balcony door, put on her hoodie and they went outside. The evening was dark and cold, only the light of the room filtered through the windows. They lit on their own cigarettes (simple strong for him, lighter minty for her), leant out on the rail, smoking in silence, standing very close to each other.

Theon hesitated for some minutes before he asked:

"In the centre of the heart… There was a picture of a woman. Very beautiful, with wavy brown hair… She was like the older brunette version of you."

"Because… She was my Mom - Thirrin answered and swallowed. Theon couldn't see her face clearly but he was sure her eyes were shining with tears. - She passed away when I was ten."

"I'm sorry, I…" - he hugged her shoulders.

"Don't be, you didn't know… She was the eldest sister of the Tyrell siblings, the smartest and the most beautiful. She went to the Royal Business, just like me. She met my Dad there. He's from Edinburgh, he came to London because of his studies. Mom had a love/hate relationship with London and our family, because she hated the society duties. She was kind of a rebel, I think, but in a very sophisticated way. Anyway, after their graduation both started working for the Golden Rose Inc and after some month Mom convinced my unlce to open an office in Scotland and my parents moved there. I was born in Edinburgh but we always spent Christmas and winter break in London. I loved it, I loved being with my cousins. I knew Mom also wanted more children than only one. I was ten when she got pregnant. Then, in the summer, right after the end of the schoolyear, she started feeling sick. Dad took her to hospital inmediately. She got some infection, or I don't know, but she lost the baby. She broke down, mentally and physically. She followed my sister to the death in 48 hours - as she was talking, her face didn't reflect any emotion, only her voice became a little bit weaker. _Is she really that strong or she just wears an armour?_ \- Me and Dad fell apart. Without the Tyrells we would have gone insane. We moved to London because we needed the people who knew Mom in her entire life. We were supposed to stay in Highgarden for a couple month, until we found our own apartment, but we stucked in there. Dad started working at the Golden Rose's selling department, I changed school… We put each other together, but we've never been able to forget Mom, and we never will." - she finished her monologue.

Theon didn't know what to say. Her sudden coming out surprised him. He's never been to a situation like this before. He practically lost his family too - but mostly it was his choice, not his faith.

He just hugged her tighter and squeezed her hand. She drooped her head onto his shoulder and squeezed back his hand.

"I'm so sorry for your loss" - he said honestly.

"Thanks - she looked up to him. - I don't know why I just told you all of these, but thanks for listenting to me. Can I hug you?"

"Of course, Snowflake."

She hugged him tight, resting her head on his chest. He pulled her closer and kissed her forehead softly. They stood there for some good minutes. Then…

"Thirrin, I'm home! - a woman yelled from downstairs in nice and sweet tone. - Sorry for being late, I just did some grocery shopping so we could eat some real and HEALTHY food instead of the ordered junks! Gosh, this class was insane, Nymeria literally KILLED my butt, but I loved it! She's the best Pilates instructor ever… Thirrin, are you awake or what? Anyway, I'm gonna be in my room, if you want to talk to me!"

"Looks like Margaery's got home" - Thirrin whispered.

"Then I should probably leave. It must be very late."

"Okay. But wait… - soft footsteps, opening and closing door. - Now we can go, everything's clear!"

He picked his stuff up and followed her down the stairs. They tried to be as quiet as possible, then stood in the doorstep.

"Thank you again, Theon - she said. - For everything."

"Any time - he smiled. - That's what friends are for. Excluding sex. Sometime in the weekend, American Horror Story?"

"Sure, just text me! Goodnight!"

"You too, Snowflake" - with that, he leant to her and kissed her, hugging her waist, running his fingers through her tangled hair.

He was thinking of this strange night while he was sitting on the train, traveling home. It was his first time getting close to a girl's soul - and he found the most mysterious and unpredictable one in the world.

 _Her soul's been broken more than once, I'm sure. I know one reason, but what about another? Also, am I strong enough to handle two broken souls in the same time? Is there a reason why we run into each other that night?_


	11. Chapter 11

Robb had been thinking and finally decided to fix his relationship instead of breaking up with his girlfriend. Christmas time and exam period was coming soon, which meant lots of stress, he really didn't need any other conflict. Plus, although he hardly admitted even to himself, he wanted to prove that he's just as capable to maintain a well-working relationship as his half-brother, he doesn't run away from every problem and there actually was a possible way to simply ignore Thirrin Woodley.

This last one had been working surprisingly smoothly since the semester was about to end: in classes they only wrote different tests and exam period would start the following week, so they hadn't really interacted. Despite the fact that he should have been studying very intensely, he managed to spend more quality time with Jeyne and he had been enjoying it pretty much: her nice and open personality made every little moment more elegant and delicate, he re-started craving on her kisses and all of sudden they found much more things to talk about. He was not only sure they'll make it until Christmas, but he found himself thinking about possible spring break destinations.

It was Saturday night, right before exam period would start. They had gone out to dinner near Robb's place, so they were walking home instead of taking a taxi, holding hands, in comfortable silence watching the Christmas lights. They stopped in the doorstep.

"I guess I should go" - Jeyne said.

"No… Stay for the night" - Robb squeezed her hands and kissed her passionately. She returned the kiss, just as fast. They entered the house as quickly as they could and carried on the hungry, passionate kisses in the small hall, leaning against the door, when suddenly he heard the voice he wanted to hear the last.

"...so shut up, Greyjoy, you used to live with Americans, of course you happened to watch this violent shit, but I'm a decent British lady who follows and does sports which suit to her position!"

"Decent lady, sure, then I'm the crown prince of the UAE. Listen, Snowflake, it's okay that you've never watched NFL before, I just simply don't believe that you still don't understand the rules! They aren't that complicated!"

"You haven't told me we won't be alone!" - Jeyne whispered.

"Keep calm, let's just sneak upstairs, they're pretty much into their fight…"

That being said, they tried to enter without being noticed. Robb went first, Jeyne followed him, holding his hand. They had to go through the living room to the stairs, and he couldn't do anything but hope to avoid meeting his roommate and Thirrin.

Unfortunately they ran into the very much surprised - and underdressed - Theon Greyjoy who was on his way to the kitchen.

"Oh… Hey there… Sorry Stark, I thought you wouldn't come home tonight - he said with wide eyes. - Hello, Jeyne."

"Hey, you know I don't mind you having someone over."

"Thanks. How has your nightout been?"

"Very good, thank you, and if you excuse us, we're about to…" - but he couldn't finish the sentence because he was cut off by an effortlessly beautiful redhead's appearance.

"Hurry up with the next round, the second half or whatever its name is starting soon... Oh, hello guys."

Thirrin looked so incredibly sexy that for a moment Robb actually forgot about the fact that his girlfriend was standing beside him. First of all, she only was wearing a dark tshirt (which clearly belonged to Theon, it had the name of the ship he had worked on) and _that kind of_ panties what only girls like Thirrin could wear on a daily basis. Her hair was down in its natural form, she was wearing lighter makeup than usual. The air around her was fulfilled with her signature scent, like she would have been spreading over a whole bottle of perfume: mixture of peppermint, something fresh and cold, and something smoky. She casually put her arm around Theon's waist as she reached them.

Robb couldn't say a word, just stared at the two of them with wider eyes than it would have been appropriate, then he finally murmured a solid "Hello, Thirrin".

"Ohh, looks like we haven't met before. I'm Thirrin Woodley, hello." - she smiled.

"Jeyne Westerling, nice to meet you." - Jeyne was just as surprised as everyone else (and she might have been observing Thirrin too critically), but she managed to remain polite enough for a decent introduction.

"Okay, now that everyone knows everyone, I suppose we all should go for our own business" - Theon said quickly, before the situation would have turned more awkward.

"Totally agree, let's go darling." - Robb nodded, mentally saying thank you for Theon. - "Please, could you be a little bit more… Quiet?"

"Of course, we'll be quiet as a shadow, do what you have to do!" - Thirrin winked.

Robb tried to smile back to her as they were walking upstairs. He was pretty much convinced that he would have to work a lot to bring back the pleasant atmosphere.

As they reached his room and he closed the door, he leant to kiss her again, but Jeyne didn't let it and asked instead:

"Robb, may I ask who this girl is? You never care about anyone whom Theon Greyjoy hooks up with, but it seemed like you would know each other!"

He felt like he would have been slapped. _What the heck she's thinking of?_

"Because… We actually do. Thirrin is my classmate." - He tried to be as calm as possible, but it was hard because probably for the first time in their relationship Jeyne seemed actually angry.

"Curious. You've never talked about her." - Jeyne sat on the bed, keeping significant distance.

"Why should have I? Hey, darling, let's leave them alone and continue what we've begun…"

"Why were you hiding this girl? - she cut him off. - Is she your ex?"

"No, no, no, no, not at all!" - he protested. _No man would ever drop Thirrin._

"Then why was the atmosphere like in a freezer?"

"You know, it's so weird… Seeing her in class daytime, seeing her with Theon nighttime… And it's also weird that Theon has a permanent… Someone." - Robb wasn't sure if they're dating, or just doing it, or what the hell is going on anyway.

"Well, bless them. Though I think decent girls don't even look at Theon Greyjoy…" - she added.

"Wait, what?" - he raised his eyebrows.

"I know he's your best friend but we all know him and his attitude towards girls. And as they say birds of a feather flock together… As I've seen all of his partners were… khm… Easy girls."

"So you're practically saying that my best friend is a heartless fucker?"

"I didn't want to curse, but frankly, yes, he is, and he always hooks up with pretty little sluts."

It was too much for him. Robb never could bear if someone insulted or hurt his loved ones - mainly if _one_ did it to _another_ (in the past 16 years it happened frequently when his sisters had a fight).

"Theon might be much more different than me, but I still love him! - he said loudly, in furious voice. - You don't know what he's been through, please don't judge him! And as for Thirrin… She's not a slut." - he finished shortly.

"How do you know that? - she practically shouted. - Have you seen that tiny lace fabric what she was wearing as underwear?"

 _I wish I hadn't had to…_

"I think it has nothing to do with the matter - he slowed down, trying to finish the pointless fight. - I repeat: Thirrin Woodley might be everything but a slut, and considering that Theon Greyjoy is a grown up person, he can do whatever he wants. I'm not his father to tell him what he's allowed to do."

"Why are you defending her?!"

Robb noticed that Jeyne said _her_ , not _him._

"Because you don't know her AT ALL! - Now he was yelling too. - You saw her only once, okay, it wasn't the best situation to meet new people, but you shouldn't think more than the reality! Not that I would know her that much - he added - , but I don't judge her for anything."

"Do you even hear yourself?! Look Robb, I don't mind if you two shared something in the past as long as you're honest with me!"

"Do I really have to repeat myself over and over again?! Thirrin and I had ABSOLUTELY NOTHING!"

 _Only if you don't count the worst party in my life. If anyone says that vodka shots are fun, I'll kill them with my bare hands._

"Okay, okay Robb, I get it. Calm down, please." - she said quickly. - "I overreacted this whole thing, sorry. I'm just… - she hesitated for some moments - I've been very stressed and tired lately."

Robb breathed in and out slowly as he was looking into her hazel eyes.

 _No, I was the one who overreacted. I'm the one who lets himself mesmerise by Thirrin Woodley_ \- he wanted to say but he couldn't. - _Pathethic, isn't it? I'm with you, she's with my best friend, but still… I didn't choose to live a teen drama. Sorry, darling, I'm so so sorry for this. Please help me._

He swallowed and squeezed her hands.

"It's a very stressful period for both of us, it's kind of okay if we can't take any more, but I don't want us to be mad at each other because of things like this - he said finally. - I forgive you but only if you forgive me too."

"Of course I forgive you!" - she bursted out relieved and hugged him. - "And again, sorry." - she murmured against his chest.

"No problem, darling." - he whispered and kissed the top of her head. - "We should probably go to sleep, what do you think?"

"Yes, that would be good." - she nodded.

Later, when they already were lying in the bed, in each other's arms, Robb couldn't fall asleep. He was staring at Jeyne's pretty and calm face while bitter thoughts were storming in his mind. A little fight over Thirrin Freaking Ice-Queen Woodley lead to no sex instantly and he could feel it was only the beginning of a hurricane. His doubtful feelings towards his so-called normal relationship were growing, he could feel the bomb would explode soon. He only could hope that Christmas time wouldn't be full of scandal.


	12. Chapter 12

The evening was going just the way she had imagined. The launch party luckily didn't turn out a big instant family reunion even though Alla and Megga had returned from New York for the holidays that afternoon. The Golden Rose's Christmas special collection was getting positive comments, which made the entire atmosphere very pleasant.

Margaery looked like her usual beautiful and charming self, collecting congratulations, important phone numbers and making nice smalltalks with important people. She was sipping her second glass of champagne while observing the place, looking for Thirrin in the crowd, but she didn't find her. As they had left for the party, they had agreed they would work separately, making their mission more effective.

 _"_ _She's probably outside smoking cigars and drinking like a 50-year-old empire owner. Gosh, I hope she isn't drunk nor doing it with someone in the restroom"_ \- she thought when she felt an arm around her waist.

"Hey, Loras" - she looked up to her brother.

"Greetings, dear sister!" - he said with wide smile on his face and a glass of champagne in his other hand. She was sure he already was a little bit tipsy. They kissed each other's cheeks. - Oh my Goodness, is it true what I'm seeing? You're wearing a vintage Valentino? How much did this miracle cost to you?"

"For me? Literally nothing. It's one of Grandma's vintage dresses, I borrowed it the last time I had tea with her" - she smiled.

"Grandma lets you borrow items from her vintage wardrobe? Count yourself as a very lucky lady."

"Jealous, dear brother?" - she laughed.

"Honestly, a little. A few weeks ago I wanted to borrow her '60s reliesed _Dark Sister_ for my Fashion History class but she didn't let me!"

"Of course she didn't let you! The Targaryen-bags are so rare now you can't find them even on eBay! For the price of that _Dark Sister_ I could buy THREE Birkins."

"I know, that's why I wanted to show it to the class. Ultimately, the _Dark Sister_ is one of the first designs. Oh, that bag is truly a masterpiece - he sighed. - Vintage is my weakness, sorry."

"Oh yes, I know it very well… Speaking of vintage, how many people do you want to invite for New Year's?"

"I still don't know, about 15-20 maybe… What's the theme again, 30's or 40's?"

"40's. World War II is being fought at the moment, therefore everyone's partying like there's no tomorrow… I thought the motto could be something like this."

"That's good, I like it! Okay, so 40's, thank you. German spies, honorable officers and captains, French _inciviques_ , I think I can do it."

"I'm glad Loras. Anyway, have you seen Thirrin? I need to talk to her."

"Last time I saw my favorite redhead was like half hour ago, she was talking to a small group of men smiling like she would have been gifted with a chateau in Provence."

"Awesome… Do you have already met the girls?"

"Yeah, actually I've just left them, we were talking pretty long. Have you heard that Megga's going to be a Calvin Klein girl next season?"

"Of course, I think she tells it everyone in this room. I'm kinda proud of her, I mean, she deserved it after Elinor had got the Mulberry campaign. Must be like a huge Christmas present for her."

"Probably... By the way, I've finally begun my final project! I drew the sketches in the weekend and now I'm working on the construction."

"Amazing! What's your theme?"

"Dream of Midsummer Night - kind of fairy world, more specifically, five 3D floral dresses, in haute couture style. I know it's not that

groundbreaking, but I didn't have any other idea, so I'm trying to do my best with it."

" _Floral dresses, seriously? It's one of the reasons why we won't give you a single penny."_ \- she thought.

"I see, good luck then! Oh, Thirrin's over there, I've got to go!" - she said when she saw her cousin waving goodbye to a group of middle-aged men. When Thirrin noticed her, she grabbed her cousin's hand pulling her into the restroom, closing the door quickly.

"What happened Thirrin? Why do we have to be in this small place?" - Margaery asked.

"You won't believe what I'll tell you now and I think it's better keeping it covered - Thirrin whispered. - Quick look into my bag: what's inside? A silver iPhone 6, a packet of silver Marlboro, a black Celine wallet, Zippo lighter, my keys, some girly stuff, Chanel Rouge Allure Velvet, and oh, about 100 thousand pounds in check."

"What the heck? - she asked, lowering her tone but still very surprised. - How did you get it?"

"I told some family friends slash business partners about our company, and eventually everyone said they would be blessed if they could support us, of course, as a gift. I smiled modestly and took it. I'm the nice and beloved late Alysone Tyrell's equally nice and beloved daughter, after all."

"You? Nice? They must mix you up with someone else!" - Margaery smiled.

"I can make people think that I'm a nice and charming young lady. No one has to know that I love sex, beer, football and alternative rock." - Thirrin laughed.

"Thirrin, you're a genius! I got us the number of a model agency, an accountant, a graphic artist - you know, to the logo - , two stylists, three makeup artists, and a registry office which occupes with manual labour."

"Excellent. We have more than enough things to finally start to develop a brand. Unless the freaking designer, of course. You didn't meet anyone interesting, did you?"

"No, I didn't - she shook her head. - Unless you count my slightly drunk brother who isn't that interesting in my opinion anyway. I love him and stuff, but we need someone with more… Fire."

"Yeah, you're right, I guess. Let's get back to the party, it's pretty cool and we need to be well-known as business women. Also, I need more champagne. I barely drink sophisticated things since I started spending my nights with Theon."

"Perks of doing it with an Irish man." - Margaery almost said "dating", but she changed her mind in time. She knew Thirrin wouldn't have talked to her for the rest of the night if she had said the R-word, the B-word or the D-word (relationship, boyfriend, dating).

" _She's DATING with him, for God's sake! She can't deny it! I know why she doesn't want to fall in love, but STILL… And this Theon Greyjoy kind of suits to her, based on the things she told me about him… Both smoke like a chimney, swear like a sailor and party like a Martell."_ \- she thought, trying not to roll her eyes.

"Let's go then" - she said instead.

The two girls clearly overshined their model cousins - and basically everyone in the room. However, they looked different like summer and winter

Margaery was wearing dark green long sleeved bodycon lace dress, which ended just above her knees, with pointed nude heels and gold and emerald statement earrings. Her hair was in a half-bun and she was holding a golden clutch in her hand. Thirrin, however, wore a very dark grey silk sleeveless overall with black studded heels, giant silver statement necklace, dark burgundy lipstick and her favorite classic Chanel flap bag. They always had been like this: Margaery the classy and ladylike, while Thirrin the monochrome and edgy.

Both took a glass of beautifully sparkling champagne, when they were asked for a photo, they posed like they would have done it since forever - which was kind of true, since they grew up in the upper class of London.

"Photobomb, ladies!" - they heard suddenly a laughing voice what they recognised instantly. The young man, who stood between the two girls and put his arm around their waists, looked so _perfect_ like a teenage girl's dream. He rocked the most effortless bed-hair with his black curls, he was wearing very dark green slim fit shirt, the sleeves folded up, with skinny black pants and leather shoes. As jewerly, he wore a light golden watch and a simple thick matte golden ring. His vivid smile and beautiful blue eyes - just as blue as the sea in the Maldives - caused several heartbreaks through the years. Yep, Renly Baratheon, the marketing manager of the Lannister-Baratheon Cooperation was truly a living and walking wonder.

"Gotta a take a picture with my favorite roses of Highgarden!" - he said when they made sure the photos would be able to appear public.

"Ours is the pleasure, favorite non-official brother-in-law!" - Margaery smiled back.

"Naaah, you're being too kind Margaery! As far as I know I'm your ONLY sibling-in-law so far."

"Wow, even you heard that Garlan had dropped his French girl?" - Thirrin asked with wide eyes.

"Of course, Thirrin! Besides the obvious little family scandal I use social media too."

"Oh sure. Where have you left one of my favorite cousins and what brought you here anyway?"

"Casually representing my company together with my dear sister-in-law, just the two of us. Luckily I've found you, she hasn't been the nicest company lately - Renly lowered his tone. - I think my brother'll get a crispy divorce case for Christmas. She started using her maiden name again, so if you bump into her call her Miss Lannister. And as for Loras, he's occupied by your Grandmother right now."

"At least you'll get a little free advertising, which couldn't be said about the Golden Rose Inc. We aren't interesting enough to gossip about - Margaery sighed. - We don't do drugs, we drink decent amount of alcohol, and for God's sake, Loras' public coming out didn't even surprise the press back then!"

"Oh sweetheart, sorry for my frankness, but it's written on his pretty face he can't possibly be straight! - Renly laught. - And I'm very grateful for this fact."

"Totally agree - Thirrin nodded. - Anyway, I still don't believe how your brother could marry that woman. Not that I'd know them, but for me they seem the least matching couple I've ever seen."

"It was based on an agreement, not on love - he explained. - The purpose was uniting the two big companies in the 90's, I was still a kid back then. My brother has never loved her, even though I have to admit she still looks pretty good."

"Pretty good?! I wish to have Cersei Lannister's body when I'll be near my 50s. I think I passed by her tonight, and damn, she's rocking that crimson dress! - Thirrin took a sip of champagne underlining her words. - I mean I've never thought that midi dresses could actually look good on anybody. Though I may or may not be jealous right now, because, sadly, I'll never be able to wear that kind of dress."

"Crimson midi dress? I think I've seen her too - Margaery added. - Don't be sad Thirrin, midi dresses are for…

 _MILFs_ \- she wanted to say but she cut herself off in time. Out of nowhere, a tall blonde woman appeared beside them, with a glass of red champagne in her hand. She was wearing that crimson dress what they have been talking about earlier, with golden heels. Her golden blonde waves were effortless, her red lipstick was untouched. Though her perfectly structured face reflected arrogancy and a bit of boredom, Margaery had to admit she looked beautiful.

"Finally Renly, where the seven hells have you… ? Oh, I see. Good evening, Miss Tyrell, Miss Woodley." - she greeted them.

"Hello, Miss Lannister. May I say that I'm in love with your dress?" - Thirrin asked with the smile she had elvolved especially for business parties.

"Oh thank you, Miss Woodley - she nodded to her. - You're looking quite… Stunning, too. Tom Ford, this autumn/winter, am I right?"

"Yes, this overall was love at first sight! Though Tom Ford's collections have a special place in my heart."

"Yeah, he sells some nice pieces, but I prefer choosing from the classics. He's just an architecht, after all… Anyways, I haven't seen you at Golden Rose - events for a long time. Are you involved into the family business now?"

Though Thirrin's face didn't show any emotion, Margaery knew she's already started planning out a cold revenge. _Never, ever judge Thirrin Woodley's choices, including her wardrobe. You can dislike them, but NEVER judge them._

"Actually, we're not. Me and Thirrin have our own business now!" - Margaery answered boldly.

"Oh God my ladies, you haven't even mentioned it to me yet!" - Renly said. - "Congrats, my dears!"

"We've just started - she explained. - It's an investment-business assistance company, specialized in young British designers."

"I'm sorry but I don't get it - Cersei asked, raising her eyebrows. - Aren't you still at university?"

"Who said grounding a company requires a degree?" - Margaery asked back, with innocent smile.

"True, Miss Tyrell, but I strongly believe picking the right people to invest in do require some more education and experience."

"I think entering to the real business world gives us more useful education than just sitting in classes at school - Thirrin said in glacial tone, looking straight into Cersei's emerald eyes. - Moreover, as it's told, one learns by experiencing. Everyone needs to start from somewhere."

"I think it's praiseworthy starting a new business at such a young age - Renly tried to defend the girls. - Think about it, they're two excellent young women, why should they wait if they have the courage now?"

"As you wish… Good luck then, ladies, I hope you won't give up on it in a year! - her tone and smile may have scared regular people but not Margaery and Thirrin who returned the smile still keeping eyecontact. - I just wanted to say I'm going home - she turned to Renly. - You obviously can stay if you want to. Goodbye, Renly, Miss Tyrell, Miss Woodley."

"Goodbye, Miss Lannister." - the girls nodded.

"She thinks we're just pretty things." - Margaery whispered to Thirrin as the blonde woman was leaving.

"The bitch couldn't be more wrong." - Thirrin said what she was thinking too.

 **A/N: Hey guys! I hope you like the story so far, I'm trying to do my best! Feel free to follow and review!**


	13. Chapter 13

It was already pitch dark outside - winter and its long nights had come. Even though it hadn't been snowing yet, Oxford looked like a winter town of fairytales, with all the old buildings and Christmas lights.

Arya was sitting in a café near the town centre, sipping on a giant latte, trying to do her homework. She'd preferred studying basically anywhere but home lately since her sister was singing Christmas carols all the time as "rehearsal for the school Christmas concert".

She's never been a huge fan of organised family celebrations anyway, but she particularly didn't look forward to this Christmas.

Jon will be gone. Not just for the holidays, but eventually, forever. He'll be married off, stay in London, have his own carrer and own family, and at the same time he'll return to Winterfell less and less until she'll see him only on public holidays.

Yes, Arya knew about the engagement plan too. Actually, she was the first whom Jon told about his idea. She reacted better than he'd expected. She was happy that her brother has finally found his key to happiness, and Arya even _loved_ Ygritte, which was strange since she never got along with other girls. The worst part came after, when she started thinking and understood what _marriage_ really meant. At first she thought it wouldn't make much more difference as Jon's been living in London for a year now. Then she realized that being married to someone does make significant difference. It means they officially belong together. They become a distinct family. They can have own traditions, own kids, own life, legally and officially.

Arya was happy, sad and angry at the same time, and of course, she blamed her mother about it. She was sure Jon wanted to become more separate from the Starks because of Catelyn. She always made Jon feel that he wasn't a _trueborn_ Stark, just the result of a one night - stand. That's why Jon wanted to get away from Winterfell that much.

 _And that's why he wants to marry Ygritte. They'll live happily ever after, they'll become famous artists, have talented ginger kids and he might forget about me_ \- she thought bitterly while filling in the gaps on her paper.

"A girl failed that sentence." - she heard a calm, soft, raspy voice, with strange accent.

Arya looked up. A tall, young man was standing behind her, leaning over her shoulder, reading her paper. He smelled like cloves, he had rather long bronze hair, caramel skin and dark brown eyes. He was wearing leather jacket, dark blue chino pants and black leather chelsea boots. He was handsome, Arya could tell, but not in a common way, more like the guys in the big fashion magazines.

"What the hell do you want?" - she asked annoyed.

"A man's correcting a girl's work. One uses congiuntivo here, not condizionale - he sat in front of her and pointed at one of the sentences. - A girl's mind might be distracted." - he smirked.

"No, I'm sure it's condizionale!"

"Read it again, lovely girl." - he said and walked to the bar to order.

Arya always hated when random people judged her, but this mysterious man made her curious, so she looked over her paper again.

"Ohh… Yeah. You're right - she admitted when the stranger sat down again with a glass of Scotch. - Thank you. But wait… You really speak Italian? It's not common in England!"

"Who said this man was British?" - he raised his eyebrows. He pronounced the words like the lyrics of a melody.

"Right… Your accent is foreign, South European, more specifically latin-ish, if I guess correctly."

"One point, lovely girl. Keep guessing." - he smiled.

There was something in his smile that caused her a strange dizzy feeling, something she's never felt before.

"Well… I have a feeling you aren't Italian, so you could be either Spanish or Portuguese."

"What about _francais_? French is a new-latin language too." - he pointed out.

"You're confusing. What are you doing in England anyway?" - she quickly changed the subject.

"You didn't seem a stupid girl. See with the stormy grey eyes of yours. Smell with your lovely little nose. Pay more attention… Arya Stark."

"The fuck?!" - was everything Arya could say. She had no idea how he knew her name, her _full_ name, more specifically.

"That's what I'm talking about - his lips curved into sexy _I see your soul_ kind of smile. - It's written on the cover of your textbook."

"So may I know your name too?" - she raised her brows.

"Only after you've guessed the nationality that belongs to the name."

 _Bloody attractive stranger guy's challenging me. Worst decision ever._

"Okay, on your accent I hear Spanish and French with a hint of Portuguese. But mostly Spanish, so I guess you're from somewhere Spain. You're either bilingual or speak some kind of dialect."

"It's not a dialect, it's a language. A nation, a state with a capital. But it's in Spain. Describing its flag would help you?"

"Yes."

"Four lines red as blood and five yellow like pure gold."

"Red and gold, in Spain… It's Catalonia, which means you're Catalan."

"Congratulations, lovely Arya. I'm from the beautiful Catalonia, from the city of Lorath."

"Awesome. Now what's your name again?"

"Jaqen H'ghar. I'm glad to meet you."

"Wow… You too. So what are you doing here in Oxford? I mean, you look more like a big city-person."

"Another point, you're learning! And yet a young man is in a small English town…"

"I don't need more clues, you're here for the university! Of course, it's so obvious. And since my brothers are at university too and they aren't available because of exam period, yet here you are in a café, on a regular weekday, without any studying material, I suppose you're an Erasmus student."

"You guessed, lovely girl. As for you, you must be at high school, in 10th grade. You must do some kind of sports… Skinny, quick, clever little girl, I think you're a fencer. You're all alone in this place, with your homework, your phone in silent mode, you don't want to be at home, and you don't want to be disturbed either."

Arya was fascinated. Everything he's just told was true. She was sixteen, at 10th grade and she was part of the school's fencer team. As a matter of fact, she was one of the most talented fencers in the team, she had good prospects to get into London Fencing Academy in the future. As for the last statements, he was right at them, too.

Normally she would have said a witty comeback for the very last one, but this time she remained speechless.

"How do you… ? - she asked humbling. - Are you a genius like Sherlock or what?"

"Just a Psychology master student, that's all - he shrugged. - I wouldn't say I'm a genius, but thanks anyway, lovely girl."

"Do you study in your hometown?" - she asked. Somehow she became interested in him, she wanted to know more about Jaqen. He seemed older than Robb and Jon, but she didn't care.

"No, in Braavos. It's an island near Barcelona. You must have heard about Braavos."

"I don't know much about it - she admitted. - I know that it's a party island like Ibiza. It's known as a free city."

"Braavos is more than the favorite destination of every Western tourist. It's like a small state within Spain, moreover, within Catalonia. That's why it's called "free city". It has a really good university, a little bit… Different, more interesting than the other ones in Spain."

"So Psychology is your major… And you speak three languages?!"

"Seven, lovely girl. Catalan, Spanish, English, Italian, French, German, Russian, and I'm planning more. The more languages you speak, the more personalities you can have. Never forget that" - he said looking straight into her eyes, leaning close to her. She couldn't respond anything, just slowly nodded. He mesmerized her with his dark eyes, his special voice, his smoke-clove-cologne mixture scent, his magical radiance.

The silence broke when Arya's phone buzzed because she's got a message. She quickly looked onto the screen to read it. Even though her phone was upside down to him, she _knew_ Jaqen was reading the message too.

"Will I see you on Friday night m'lady? We're watching the game with the guys and having some beer at the pub, you should come! ;) G."

" _I'm not your lady, Waters"_ \- she thought rolling her eyes.

"Boyfriend?" - he asked, still smiling, but his eyes were serious.

"Hell no! - Arya said quickly. - I mean, no - she corrected herself. - Just a friend. The stupid bull calls me m'lady sometimes, which is a pain in the ass, but he's my best friend anyway."

"Well then. I wasn't sure if you had a boyfriend or not." - The annoying smirk appeared on his face again and the dizzy feeling returned.

"Do I really look like someone who has a boyfriend?" - she laught, trying not to blush, which was a strange thought since Arya's never been the blushing girl.

"I could definitely imagine" - he said seriously.

Arya remained speechless again. Boyfriend? No way. She's grown up surrounded by boys - not just by her brothers, but all of her friends were male as well. She never looked at them other than teammates, classmates or anything like this.

"Boys are stupid" - she shrugged finally.

"A boy might be stupid. A man could be the opposite" - he almost whispered, his raspy voice made her shiver even though it was warm enough.

Arya felt like every single thought would be erased from her head. She couldn't think clearly, she couldn't say a single word. She didn't know how this mysterious Catalan was enchanting her. His presence, his wise words, his smile, his scent… What could be his secret?

Her phone started buzzing again.

"You should take this one, lovely girl. Your mother is probably missing you." - he suggested.

She didn't answer anything just took the call.

"Hey, Mom. In town, doing my homework. Because everyone's so loud it's impossible to work?! Okay, fine, I'm coming. Bye" - she ended the conversation quickly. She hated being controlled all the time by her mother. She slowly picked up her stuff and put everything into her backpack. From a pocket she took a pair of earpods and began to put on her scarf and her leather jacket over her oversize sweater.

"I have to go home now, dinner's ready" - Arya sighed but didn't feel happy about it, she wanted to stay instead and talk to him, about his adventures, about Braavosi uni life, about… Everything.

"Such a shame. I walk you out, if you don't mind" - he suggested.

Arya nodded. They left the place in silence. They stood near the door, he took out of his pocket a packet of black cigarettes a lit on one. It smelled like cloves.

"I guess it's time to say goodbye - Arya said. - It was nice meeting you."

"I hope to see you around soon, lovely girl" - with that, he leant to her and kissed her on her cheek. His lips were hot like fire, she inhaled his scent like it would be the purest air.

"You too" - she whispered surprised and confused and quickly left, like someone would be after her.

 **A/N: Sorry guys, I had to repost this chapter, something must have gone wrong… Anyway, I hope you liked it and the new storyline as well, feel free to review &follow**!


	14. Chapter 14

Only two exams and he'll be free. Economic French and Financial and Human Resource Management. Financial and Human Resource Management and Economic French. Two exams, two days, and entire freedom until the middle of January. Oxford, Winterfell, home, Christmas and normal family life. But until then he had at least 500 words to study, so he was sitting in the livingroom all day, surrounded by notes and dictionaries, murmuring French expressions to memorise them. In front of him Theon did quite the same, only he was re-reading his notes and calculating.

The day passed like this, in tensible silence, without talking to each other more than it was necessary. No wonder that Robb's heartbeat stopped for a second when a phone rang.

"It's mine, I'll take it" - Theon said. - "Hello Patrek, what's up? Tomorrow, 9:30 AM, 4th floor, room 5. Me too, I'd be happy with a D. Of course! Okay, bye!" - he hung up.

He was about to put his phone back to the table, but it started to ring again. This time Theon's face darkened when he looked at the screen but answered the call anyway.

"Hello, sis" - he said.

Robb looked up from his notes. " _Hello sis"?_ He knew Theon had a troubled family, he learnt about them month after being friends with him. They lived in Northern Ireland in a small island. His father was a cold and stubborn man who valued Theon much less than his two elder brothers, but they had died on board in the sea during a storm when he was only ten. He also despised him because he wanted to go to university and not take part in the family business. Theon also had a sister who was a few years older than him, but their relationship hadn't been the most loving one either. His mother had to live in a sanitary due to her mental illness. No wonder that he spent his last schoolyear planning and organising and right after his high school graduation Theon simply _escaped_ from home to work on a cruise ship in the Caribbeans.

"HELL NO! - Theon shouted. - No way that I'll go home for the holidays! I don't care that you're working in fucking BARCELONA! You won't tell me what I have to to! He hasn't been interested in me for 18 years, why would he care about me now? I'm staying in London, end of story. I don't give a damn about him! Leave me alone with this shit!" - with that, he hung up and almost dropped his phone in anger. He jumped off the chair and stormed outside - probably for a smoke. Robb thought he should follow him, so he did.

Theon was standing near the door, staring into the night with narrowed eyes, slowly smoking his cigarette.

Their eyes met.

"Sorry, Stark - he sighed. - My stupid sister had the ridiculous idea of going to Pyke for Christmas."

"I could kind of figure it out - Robb nodded. - What did she say exactly?"

"This year's excuse is better than it was last year. She said she won't be able to make it because she's working on a Mediterranean ship during the holidays, but ONE OF US has to be there. But I know that clever bitch of a sister managed her shift on PURPOSE like this. She doesn't like that place more than I do, unless she wouldn't have gone away as well."

"I'm sorry mate." - was the best thing Robb could say. His life was far from perfect at the moment, but at least his family was way better.

"Don't be, it's okay. I mean, it's fucking not okay, but it won't get any better, so I have to deal with it." - he blew out the smoke.

"As you want, Theon. But just to know, you're welcome at Winterfell for Christmas this year too, especially that Jon and Ygritte will be gone to Paris." - Robb gave him a weak smile.

The previous year, when he'd asked Theon where he'd wanted to spend the holidays and he - surprisingly - hadn't answered anything, he'd invited him to the family Christmas and it turned out a pretty good one. Though Theon could act as a proper son of a bitch, for the Stark Christmas he'd learnt some discipline and that year there were two more redheads on the family photos: Ygritte and Theon.

"Thanks Stark, I'll think about it - Theon nodded. - Though…" - he didn't finish the sentence like something would keep him back.

"Though what?" - Robb asked.

"Nothing - he shook his head. - I don't want to upset you."

Robb figured it out right away.

"It's something about Thirrin" - It was a statement, not a question.

"Yes… I was hoping or… I don't even know what I'm thinking since it's bullshit, but… I really hoped I could spend Christmas with her."

"Are you that close or what?"

"That's the thing, Stark. I don't know what are 'we' anymore. We started as fuckbuddies, but now… I feel like it could be more, and for fuck's sake, I wouldn't mind, but she… You know, I totally get why she was your crush. Sometimes I feel like she's not even part of this world, like she would be a Winter Queen from fairytales or shit like this because she's so…"

"Cold."

"Yes, cold. Cold and hot, passionate and calm, empty and full, attractive and dangerous at the same time. She's a walking paradox, yet so addictive it's impossible to describe. She's pure heroine. In two senses."

"Heroine? Like female version of hero?"

"Exactly. Though I can't really read her mind, I'm sure she's been through a lot, just like me. But I'm not totally convinced that she's as strong as she shows herself. You know, some weeks ago… She told me how her mom had died and how it had broken her completely and she didn't even let out a single teardrop! I know something - other than that - happened to her in the past what made her such emotionless. Really, Robb. Every girl says they don't have feelings, but Thirrin literally doesn't have feelings. It's scary and attractive at the same time. I think… Shit Robb, I'm sorry I have to tell YOU this, but... I think I need her, because she doesn't need me "- he let it out with desperate expression on his face. He finished his cigarette and immediately lit on another.

Robb had to think before reacting anything. He's never heard Theon talking about _anyone_ like this before. His face changed too while speaking. The smoke and the bright street lamp gave him a mysterious lightning, his sea-jade green eyes widened and became fulfilled with pure admire, insecurity and a bit of... _fear._

"She's trying to convince the whole world that she doesn't need anyone - Theon continued suddenly. - She's nice to you, she talks to you, she smiles and laughs with you, she sleeps with you, but it's written in her eyes she would do just as well without you. It feels fucking devastating, you know."

 _He's afraid of losing her -_ Robb realized. - _He's already lost too much people, he doesn't want to lose another, because he started caring about her. Theon, for fuck's sake, are you in love with Thirrin Woodley?_

"Yes, I know - Robb said quietly. - I tried to pick her up too, remember? And beside that, I've got to see her almost every day. It's her natural attitude or whatever, you cannot change her."

"But I want her to need me! - Theon blurted out. Robb got scared a little bit. It couldn't be possible that his friend had _drunken_ himself to this level of honesty, so he had to blame Theon's sister for his sudden coming out. - I don't want to change her, because she's perfect just like this, I just want to… Fix her."

 _He's in love with her, now it's official. Theon Greyjoy, in love, that's new._

Robb didn't even try to give him any relationship advice as apparently he felt like he was the worst at relationships in the entire world, and he even count his sister who had dated Joffrey Fucking Jerk Baratheon last summer. Instead, he just hugged his shoulders.

"Thanks Robb - Theon murmured. - For listening to all this mess."

"No problem. That's what friends are for. I know you'll solve it."- he tried to be encourageing.

"How the hell could I solve it? You don't need to answer. It's like blind leading the blind - Theon smiled bitterly. - Sorry."

"No, you're right - Robb sighed. - This relationship thing is miserable."

"Shit, why does it have to be so complicated? What are you hiding Snowflake? - Theon murmured. - Fuck it, I'll figure out something. Again, thanks Stark" - he turned to him and went back to the house.

Robb stayed a little bit, he thought Theon might need some time alone and he could use some as well. He had to work through himself on the new situation. He was 100% sure Theon fell in love with Thirrin, completely and officially. The glow in his eyes, his worried words…

Back then, he had convinced himself that it was probably better not getting together with Thirrin Woodley because she's too complicated. Maybe that's why he ended up with Jeyne who was the opposite of Thirrin. Yet it became just as complicated as Theon's situation with Thirrin. Robb hasn't been sure of his feelings since Jon told him about his engagement plan and the chaos became bigger and bigger in his mind every day. Deep inside he knew he should break up with her, just how Jon had said, but he couldn't bring himself to actually do it.

 _Breaking up when it's Christmas, how rude is that! Fuck, I don't want to drop her in the middle of exam period, literally two weeks before Christmas…_ \- he thought. - _We'll get through on that five goddamned days, and right after I take her back to London, we'll talk like well-educated people and say goodbye in peace. That's the only solution._


	15. Chapter 15

Airport. Enormous buildings made of metal and plastic. Destination and start. Place of welcomes and farewells, beginning of new adventures and start of a runaway. The atmosphere is a mixture of controversal feelings: happiness and sadness, occasional tears, laughter, bittersweet smiles and tired faces. Thirrin Woodley's had all of this in her life.

Now she was happy - well, not happy in the usual sense, but she was looking forward to reunite with her cousin.

She was waiting with a bunch of other people in the arrival hall. The plane from Paris had already landed, so she was looking for the familiar face in the crowd. Soon she saw him coming and ran to him like a child, like she would do years ago after arriving to London from Edinburgh.

"Finally, you're home! - she exclaimed as she was hugging him tight. - I missed you so much Garlan."

"I missed you too, Thirrin - he smiled and kissed her forehead. - Thank you for coming here."

"That's the least I can do for my favorite cousin!" - she smiled back.

As they were walking out to take a taxi, everyone stared at them for at least ten seconds, and not just because of Thirrin.

Garlan Tyrell looked just as beautiful as every member of his family. Perfectly structured face, strong jaw covered with light stubble, golden brown messy curls, hazel eyes, masculine figure - thanks to clean eating and hours in the gym -, simple yet quality clothes - the British elegance himself.

"You're radiant, Thirirn. More radiant than usual - Garlan said observing her. Even though she hadn't really told any details about her recent friend-with-benefits relationship, Thirrin was sure Garlan knew what's been happening to her. They shared the gift of reading other's mind. - Who's the guy? The Irish redhead you've been spending lots of time lately, according to your Instagram?

 _Shit Tyrell, why do you know me so well?_

Thirrin sighed.

"It's complicated. Actually that's why I wanted to meet you before everyone else. Would you mind not heading straight to Highgarden and have dinner with me instead?"

"Of course not. I'll send my stuff home and we can go somewhere nice."

"Thank you. Where would you like to go?"

"Anywhere but the French places!" - he laught.

During the car ride Thirrin hardly said a word, just listened to Garlan who was talking about his experiences in Paris. Only one semester was missing for him to get his masters' degree at Sorbonne. He made his bachelor's degree at the Royal Business, just like Thirrin. Garlan was doing well in Paris, Thirrin could tell. She was glad over the fact. In her opinion Garlan had the purest heart on Earth, he deserved to be happy.

They ended up in one of the fancy Dornish restaurants near Highgarden. Even though they hadn't had a reservation, the waiter greeted them on their names ("What a pleasure, Miss Woodley, Mr Tyrell!") and escorted them to a table.

Once ordered and got the drinks, Garlan asked:

"What did you get involved in again, Little Snowflake?"

 _Theon calls me Snowflake too. I love when he does so_ \- she thought.

Thirrin sighed again and took a sip of rich red wine before starting to tell her story. She knew it would be a hard night. She'd never discussed her _thing_ not even with Margaery, let alone any other person. She didn't like to talk about her feelings anyway, she had good reasons for it.

"So there's this guy - she began. - His name is Theon Greyjoy, he's Northern Irish and he's studying mechanical engineering. He's at his second year just like me, but he's two years older actually, he took gap years, he worked on a cruise ship. Anyway, I met him on a random nightout and we spent the night together. I slept there too. Next day we agreed we'd meet again, because the vibe between us was way too strong to a one night stand. We've been meeting a couple times a week, and we've been talking online almost every day. We never do anything special: watching some show or game - usually football, tennis, basketball or American football, it's kind of cool -, and well… Doing it. And oh my God Garlan, he's so fucking good, I…"

"Doing it with a sailor, swearing like a sailor?" - he smirked interrupting her.

"I've always had filthy mouth, you know that. So Theon is simply the best, and I've slept with a lot of guys, you know that too" - she said with a hint of bitterness.

"Our Braavosi adventure isn't a holiday I can easily forget" - he nodded, smiling but his eyes were serious. Thirrin smiled back. Their kind of random spring break trip had been the craziest experience of her life so far.

"Yeah… And you know what's great too? That I can talk to him - she continued ethusiastically. - Talk to him as a friend, about anything: school stuff, life, books and plans, anything, really. I told him about Mom, too, and you know I don't really share these kind of things easily. Theon is basically me in guy version and it's so awesome. Awesome, but weird at the same time, because we aren't supposed to be friends in this level, only watching-shows-and-games-and-having-sex level. I don't know where this thing takes me and I'm afraid I screwed up things again."

She felt a little bit revealed. Garlan was the easiest person to talk to in her life.

 _And also Theon. Shit, why am I thinking of him again?_

"Well… - Garlan started slowly. - You said you can talk about anything. Have you told him about _that_?"

She looket at him like he would gone mad.

"No way - she protested quickly. - I won't, until it's necessary. He doesn't have to know how fucked up I am in reality. Though… I think he's just as messed up as me. He never told me any details about his background, I can just… Feel it, you know. He left his family after his graduation, worked in the Caribbeans, and as far as I know he never returned to Northern Ireland. I just don't know the reason. But it has to be something terrible. One doesn't simply gives up on family."

"Not everyone is like us, Thirrin. Our bounds are extremely strong. We're witty, we all play the Game in fashion industry, we can destroy anyone, yet we always count on each other. It's rare, Thirrin, rarer than you would think."

"You're right, but still… We have these huge secrets, carrying with us, and I don't know what to do if they'll be ever revealed. I'm scared, Garlan" - she admitted.

"Of what? That he'll get to know about _him_ or that you're closer than you've planned?" - he pointed out.

Again, he guessed her exact thoughts. They could read well anyone, but especially each other. As Thirrin could connect better with men than women, she often felt like Garlan was her other half - on a sibling-cousin level, of course.

"You should have chosen Psychology instead of Economics and Commercial" - she smiled.

"I might begin it once finished Sorbonne. But answer me, Thirrin!"

"I don't want a relationship, Garlan. Not after… _Him_ " - she swallowed and shivered on the thought of the memory.

"I'm sorry Thirrin but for me it seems you two are already in a relationship - Garlan raised his eyebrows. - You have everything in him that a proper relationship requires: you trust him, he trusts you, you have the chemistry, you like quite the same things, you're comfortable being around him. Am I right?"

"When did I say I trust him? - Thirrin asked back. - You know how they say: _Never trust an Irishman an inch above your knee._ "

"Trusting a true Englishman didn't work out for you, maybe an Irishman can make a difference" - he pointed out.

"I don't know Garlan, and that's not everything. I have one more disturbing fact: Robb Stark" - she sighed. Actually, she rather not have thought about the whole mess with Robb, the situation between the two (three?) of them was awkward enough to brush it under the carpet, especially after the weird meeting at their place when she hardly wore anything.

"Who? The heir of the Stark Industries? He's your classmate, isn't he?"

"And also Theon's roommate. And I'm kinda his previous crush" - she added.

"What do you mean?"

"He kind of fell for me last year, when we started university - she explained. - I don't know what the hell he saw in me since I was breaking up with _him_ back then, anyway, Robb had a crush on me and he tried to hit on me in a party, which didn't work out. I won't share the details, let me just say I had to hold his head in the bathroom. Of course I can't think of him as a boyfriend material - even though he's pretty hot. But every time we meet I can see the jealousy in his eyes. I don't know whether he's jealous because I'm screwing his best friend or he's jealous becaue his own relationship is falling apart. Theon told be about it. So it sucks because I don't want to destroy their friendship. I know Robb means a lot to Theon, I don't want to ruin this to him."

He didn't react anything for a while. He took a sip of wine, looked up to the golden and turquoise ceiling, deeply thinking. Finally he said:

"You've practically admitted you care about him. See, Thirrin? Take the chance, get together with him like a normal person and end this stupid game for good. I have a feeling he cares about you just the same."

"I haven't had a decent relationship since like 11th grade. I don't even know how to do it!"

"Don't be ridiculous, Little Snowflake - he rolled his eyes. - It won't make such a big change, but Grandma can tell everyone in London that one of her grandchildren finally has a stable and traditional relationship so our family's lovelife isn't a total disaster and that's it. I didn't mean to insult my brother but we all know how old-fashioned high society can be."

"It's not that simple for me" - she cut it short.

"You make it complicated. It's time to move on, not sleeping around and hooking up without consequences - now his tone changed, in the _I'm-the-older-brother-here_ way. - You've been doing it since Braavos. I honestly admire you about it, knowing the previous events, but a lot of time has passed since then. Leave alone your excuses including the Stark guy - you're adults, all of you, you can discuss your problems."

"I'm not sleeping around! Not that my sexual life would be your business, but I haven't been with any other guy since me and Theon started… This. I deleted Tinder from my phone, too! Anyway, how the hell do you know that he wants to be in a _proper relationship_ with me?"

"Because it's about YOU. Every heterosexual man would marry you right in this second. Look, I get why you are afraid of being close to someone but you've already opened up for him! Let your fears go. And please Little Snowflake, don't blame yourself for what happened to you in the past. You didn't screw up anything, the real problem was with _him._ "

Thirrin sighed. Deep inside her mind she knew Garlan was right: she should be honest with Theon and step to the next level - though they've already been there, as their relationship was far from friendship. Or simply end everything and restart her latest favorite game: breaking hearts.

 _No, I couldn't do that. I couldn't drop him. Who would I text or call if I had something in my mind, if I wanted to watch American Horror Story or just to hang out? He'd come over and we'd sit in the balcony with some bottles of beer, smoking and talking. He'd call me Snowflake, show that million dollars' smile of his, speak in his funny yet adorable accent, I'd sit between his legs and he'd hug my waist and kiss my neck and… Oh my God, when did I become addicted to Theon Greyjoy?_

She breathed in and out slowly to calm down and not to burst out in tears. The recognition hit her hard and she didn't know how long she'll be able to hold on. Maybe she made another mistake, like she had done two years ago.

 **A/N: I hope you liked the update, again, follows &reviews are highly appreciated!**


	16. Chapter 16

The girl was standing in the middle of the empty room. She looked around one more time. Her precious little showroom in the artist quarter of Paris used to be full of sketches, different materials, little stones, and occasionally, some buyers too, especially in the last few month. But it was over now. Everything was packed into huge boxes, ready to get on the Eurostar.

The ache in her heart grew stronger day by day. In Paris, unlike in the USA, she finally felt like home. She had some success, too, some bags had been sold and lots of people admired her work. If she had been another person, she could have started a new life in France. But she was a Targaryen, the very last remained member of the prestigious old British family. Her destiny was lying across the tunnel.

The window looked at a graffiti wall. _L'amour est mort._ \- it said, in thick black letters, with beautifully curved handwriting.

Dany wanted to believe the opposite, but reality didn't let her. After many tragedies in her professional and personal life her only hope was the resurrection of the family brand. She was trying hard but she learnt from her own mistakes it's not that easy. For example, she'd never studied business, only design, so she didn't have a clue how to manage a brand, but it was just the icing on the cake.

A young girl, at Dany's age, entered the room with two cups of coffee. She had big curly dark hair and chocolate skintone, she wore knee-high boots, brocade patterned leggings and oversize sweater.

Dany smiled at her. Through the years only Missandei remained at her side. They'd met in the design school back in New York and became best friends instantly. Soon they started resurrecting the Targaryen-brand together.

"Thank you for the latte - she said. - Have you packed your things?"

"Yes - Missandei nodded and stood beside her. - I'm ready to leave… Or at least my luggage" - she smiled bitterly.

"I feel the same way - Dany smiled back to her. - I love this city and I'll be sure to return once everything's up and running in London. Did you wrapped the gowns safely?"

"Sure" - she nodded.

The three gowns had the biggest value of the items, they'd spent almost all of their fortune on the material. Re-designing and reproducing the iconic bags had been quite a necessity, the true art pieces were the gowns. Haute couture style, feminine, classy yet edgy, in three colors: white and gold, green and bronze, black and red. The last one was her favorite.

For a good five minutes they were drinking their coffee in silence, deep in thoughts. Both were nervous about the upcoming move. London was a completely new city for both of them, after all.

"We have to get up pretty early - Dany said finally - , and make sure to order some extra cabs, because of the boxes. If everything goes well, we'll arrive on Friday evening and we can go to the apartment right away."

"Okay. Dany… - she instantly knew what Missandei would ask. - How much money do we have?"

"Enough to get by for a couple of month, but not enough to start working - she sighed. - We need serious investors as soon as possible."

Indeed, another problem, lack of money. Everything the Targaryens used to possess had been lost long ago. Everyone of their little crew, even Dany had side-jobs to make enough money for living, but no one could put aside significant capital.

"You know that we could have plenty of investors here. Please Daenerys, at least reconsider staying in France for a while!"

They would discuss about this subject almost every day, yet Dany never changed her mind.

"I don't belong to France - she said again, looking into her friend's big black eyes. - I need to return to the UK. I have to reconstruct the brand there. Like in the old days: fashion shows, producing, designing selling in London. Based on the informations I've got, it's safe for us. My decision has been made, and it's moving. I'm old money, I must be accepted!" - she never stopped believing in the power her last name.

"Let's face with the real issues: we don't have enough money neither sells to become upper class instantly and you know that too. That's why we need investors, and since almost everyone in the UK is influenced by the Lannister-Baratheron Cooperiation we don't have much chance there!"

"I know but… Some influental people out there always had money in the House of Targaryen, I'm sure we can convince them to give us money!"

"Too risky. We're practically a startup, regardless the history of your family."

"We must take the risk! You have to understand that this is my only chance for happiness. My brand is the only thing what remained for me."

"I'm sorry Dany. I'm just… You know, trying to be realistic. I'm afraid the start won't be that easy."

"I know that too… And the fact that I want female investors makes the situation even harder but I won't give up on it. So many men in my life and so many disappointments… I don't know if I'll be able to trust in men again, not even in business world."

"Then our chance is like 0,1%... Why is the move so urgent?"

Dany hesitated for a moment. She wasn't sure in her plan either, but her intuitions were good. Everything seemed so professional, those two girls might be able to give her success, with all their connections and resources.

She walked to the table to her laptop, typed the address quickly and the site appeared.

"Some days ago I found this site of two young women - she said. - They've just started their business assistance company and they're looking for possible clients."

"I hope you tracked them down, we really don't need to lose more money."

"Of course. They belong to the high society of London. One is Margaery Tyrell, the other is Thirrin Woodley. They're cousins, from the Tyrell side. I looked at all of their social media pages, they've already worked for their family company, the Golden Rose Inc., in the Golden Rose part itself. Both frequent excellent business schools. Margaery is studying Fashion Management at Regent's and Thirrin's major is Business and Management at Royal Business'. That's what we need! Well-educated investors with endless capital!" - she explained enthusiastically while surfing on the beautiful minimal page.

"Show me one of their pages!" - Missandei handed her phone to Dany.

She was thinking a little bit, then she decided to search for Margaery's Instagram account. All the pictures of her feed were sophisticated, nicely captured and professional. One photo of her effortless daytime outfit, another together with a stunning redhead - Thirrin Woodley - in a party. A difficult Pilates pose. Latte art. Beautiful selfies.

"She seems so… Nice and kind. Honestly Dany, you would need someone like her in the business. - Missandei said, scrolling her phone. - Let's see her cousin!"

Thirrin's page wasn't that well-structured as Margaery's, but it looked kind of fun. Lots of random moments, books, sport game nights (often together with some guy), and fascinating pictures of herself. Unlike Margaery, who seemed to charm out of everyone the best solutions possible, Thirrin seemed a cold and clever woman who gets what she wants, no matter what, without any unnecessary drama.

"She's very beautiful too. The guy who's on her latest pictures very often must be very lucky - she smiled. - Well, both seem okay, so does what they offer. Do you think we really should contact them?"

"That's what I've been thinking about… They must be professional and nice, but I'm afraid they don't have enough experiences… Yet I can feel it's a sign, a perfect chance for us!"

"Indeed. I guess you can try, but only after the holidays. I mean, we would be settled down for Christmas anyway, and we could have a little extra time to make a presentation or something."

"Good point. Now let's get back to the packing, now it seems we have something to move for!"

After many years of delusion Dany could see the light in the end of the tunnel. Maybe the amazing Tyrell cousins are her saviors.

 **A/N: I had quite a struggle writing this one and midterm period didn't help me :D but I hope you liked it anyways. Stay tuned for more updates!**


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N: Finally a longer chapter! This one is my favorite so far, so I hope you'll like it!**

No warmup, just jumping right into it. No sign of anything delicate or soft, only wildness. She was planning on ripping off his clothes right in the second he arrives and possibly going for a fast round in the hall. Then maybe opening a nice bottle of champagne to celebrate their successful exam period, then continue fucking through the night.

Thirrin was waiting for him impatiently. She hadn't seen Theon for more than a week, both were too busy with school to have a free night. During that time she was nervous, tired and hot-tempered, which was unusual. The reasons? Nicotine overdose, caffeine overdose, economics overdose, lack of sleep and lack of Theon Greyjoy. When she finally finished her last exam and later that day Theon texted her that he was done with his exams too, Thirrin kindly asked Margaery to go out somewhere. Her cousin agreed and Thirrin basically demanded Theon to go over that night. Of course, he said yes.

So she was sitting in the livingroom, wearing a basic black tanktop and a pair of dark jeans, scrolling through her phone. She would have liked to go out for a smoke, but she kept it as after sex ritual.

Finally the doorbell rang. She stormed into the hall, opened the door quickly, dragged Theon inside and kissed him fast in the same time. He seemed a bit surprised but kissed her back anyway, gently pinching her lips, running through his fingers in her hair.

"Fuck, I missed this so much Snowflake" - he murmured between two kisses.

"Me too… " - she sighed as she felt that his fingers had reached her bare skin above the waistline of her jeans.

"Tonight we're going to recover everything we've missed last week" - he said taking off his sweater and shirt and unhooking his belt.

"Sounds like a plan" - Thirrin agreed, removing her top.

They exchanged a quick smile and he pushed her against the wall. Thirrin kissed him faster and hungrier. His whole body was sticked to hers, she felt _every single_ naked and still covered part of it very clearly. Her lean fingers were dancing on his nicely structured abs, not reaching under his pants yet, teasing him.

She felt like melting when Theon left her lips to kiss her neck, then he made his way down to remove her bra and started kissing her boobs.

She gave up - her hands slid down into his pants, her fingers started slithering up and down in his length. It felt smooth and hard in the same time - Thirrin got turned on even more.

She moaned into his mouth as she felt his fingers inside her panties, rubbing her gently.

"Did you miss me Snowflake? - he smirked. - You're like the ocean right now…"

"Feels like you missed me too, Greyjoy…" - she winked and pulled her fingers tighter around him.

"Fuck, you're so good… - he gasped, yet suddenly stopped her. - But you know what I would LOVE tonight? Same thing, but with your mouth…You seem like one who's awesome at blowjobs too..." - he gently tried to push her head down.

Thirrin froze. She couldn't stop the memories floating her mind.

" _I know you missed me Babydoll… I know you love it… Why do I have to ask you then?"_

" _I won't do it! Last time you almost choked me! You cannot make me..."_

" _Ohh of course I can make you do anything, my sweetling. You're a clever girl, unfortunately, but I am the boss here. So go down to your knees, I want my cock inside your mouth, in this second. Or do you want me to do the same thing I did when you didn't behave yourself?"_

 _She wanted to cry but she couldn't, only thought of the still visible bruises on her thighs and waist. She slowly shook her head._

" _That's how I like you. My perfect doll. Trust me, I don't want to ruin your snowy skin either, but if you don't give any other choice… You're the most entertaining when you look this perfect. Now be a good doll and do your job if you want to stay in the top!"_

 _She really felt like a doll: empty and liveless._

"I can't do it - " she whispered, her blue eyes full of fear and anxiety.

Theon raised his eyebrows.

"Khm… I don't get it. It's a very simple task, you just have to…"

"No - she interrupted him. - I can't do it, end of story. I don't want to."

He looked at her confused.

"At least just try, it's gonna be… "

"You cannot make me do anything!" - she screamed at him, with tears in her eyes. Before he could do anything, she got herself out of his arms, picked up her clothes and run upstairs to the bathroom. She closed the door and collapsed to the floor. The unexpected memories, the stressful time period, the insecure feelings about their relationship, her fears and doubts - she couldn't hold on anymore. For the first time in forever, she started crying, her tears pouring like the rain in a dark autumn night. As she felt the saltiness of her tears, she cried harder. She felt hurt, desperate and weak.

She didn't know how much time had passed when she heard quiet knocks on the door.

"Thirrin, are you okay? - he asked in uncertain tone. - Please let me in!"

"No… - she sobbed. - You don't want to see me like this…"

"In fact I do - Theon said stubbornly. - Open the door!"

"Theon, I screwed up the night, we don't need to…"

"Yes we do need to talk, I want to know what happened to you! I repeat: Open. That. Bloody. Door."

Thirrin sighed, stood up and turned the key. Before she opened the door, she looked at her reflection in the mirror - she shouldn't have done that. Big dark red mess of a hair, puffy red eyes, smudged makeup.

 _I look exactly how I feel_ \- she thought bitterly.

His sea-jade green eyes widened as he saw her. He looked very confused, and also maybe a little scared. Before he could say anything, she bursted out in tears again. She knew she had to tell him what caused her breakdown but she wasn't ready yet. She fell into his arms, her tears made his shirt soaking wet. He couldn't do anything but embracing her tighter, hinting soft kisses onto the top of her head, trying to calm her down.

When she finally stopped crying, both were sitting on the floor, her hand squeezing his so tightly it may have caused bruises. She was breathing heavily and she barely saw anything because of her puffy eyes.

Theon lifted up her chin gently:

"I'm sorry Snowflake, for whatever I did - he looked into her eyes, his voice full of confusion. - I don't want to upset you again but please tell me what happened to you! Have you… Have you been raped in the past, or…?"

She shook her head, loosened her hand and in the calmest tone she could, she started talking:

"Do you remember what Violet's friend said on season 1? _The devil is real and he isn't a little red man with horn and a tail. He can be beautiful, because he's a fallen angel and used to be God's favorite._ Perfectly describes _him_. In secondary school we went quite too far when it came to partying. Me and my cousins were the definition of teen high society chliché, with all the fancy parties and but I got bored with them in our senior year. I wanted something different, something more… Dangerous. Well, I got it. Once I went out alone, I just took a random train and got off at a random station. We met in an ordinary pub, we started drinking together and we almost ended up in the restroom. He looked like the guy who makes your entire family worried. He had something bloody attractive in him and he could act… Oh my god, he could act so well. Also, he made me crazy just by touching me. Though his eyes could have uncovered him… He had pale eyes, not blue nor green, more like very light grey. There was some kind of insanity in them, but somehow I found that sexy too. I fell in love so quickly that I can't even believe. In the beginning, he was nice to me. But after a few month, he revealed his real face. He treated me as a toy, if I would be made for his pleasure. He even called me his porcelain doll - dolls don't scream and don't protest. I tried to break up with him, but he held so much power on me, I always ended up returning to him. I did things I didn't necessarily want to do just for some kind words or compliment. I learnt from my own mistakes it's never good messing with him anyway. I still loved him but he didn't love be back, of course. That broke me into pieces. Yet I would always return to him because somehow I needed him. He took from me more than a year: a year I spent crying, smoking, drinking, not eating, but I had to hide all of this from my family. I thought I could endure and… Shit Theon, I didn't even tell it to my Dad who loves me the most in this world! I knew it would crash him, he never recovered completely after Mom's death... Only Margaery and Garlan knew my whole story. They tried to help, but I was blind, fool and in love. Last spring I could finally get rid of him for good, but it still hurt. Life disappeared from me, I became cold like ice not to reveal my true feelings to anyone" - as the end was coming, her voice became cold and emotionless.

Minutes passed in terrified silence. She could see on Theon's face he couldn't even imagine a background story like this. He was shaking his head, trying to deal with her past.

"But you've always seemed so… - he humbled. - Confident, so independent…"

"I learnt how to fake smile - she cut in bitterly. - Again, season 1 reference: _Hello, I'm Thirrin. I'm dead. Wanna hook up?_ Would you - or anyone else - even try to talk to me if I showed my real self? The broken, untrustful girl who's afraid of love? I had to survive. But Greyjoy, look at us! - she blurted out, not considering her thoughts. - We've become more than friends! We've always been more than friends, but I thought I could manage it without… "

She started crying again. He held her closer, his embrace and the soft kiss on her forehead had never felt that good before. She listened to his heartbeat trying to calm down. She inhaled his scent like it would have been the purest air: smoky-salty, fresh and free.

After minutes she calmed down enough that Theon could finally talk to her:

"Look, Thirrin. I'm not a life expert, but… When I worked on the ship, someone told me that we're all a little bit fucked up, and that's okay - he whiped off her tears with his fingers. - That's what makes us human. That's what makes us ourselves. It's so freaking true, Thirrin. You survived this monster, because you're strong. It's over now. He's gone, forever. But I'm here for you" - he hugged her again and kissed her forehead.

"Thank you, Theon… - she sobbed against his chest. - And I'm sorry for… this evening. It shouldn't be like this... "

"Don't apologize, for fuck's sake! - Theon interrupted her. - You've just told me how a complete psycho made your life a nightmare and YOU'RE APOLOGIZING? I understand why you freaked out and I should be the one who apologizes… Jesus Thirrin, did I ever make you do…?"

"No, Theon, not at all, I could control… - she protested. - Or I thought I could control what we were doing… But now I'm confused, more confused than you think I am… About… Us. But I don't want to discuss it, because if I discuss it, I screw up and I don't want to screw up with you..." - she almost bursted out in tears again.

He was tracing her back softly while murmuring against her head:

"Snowflake, hey… Calm down, now you're overthinking. You won't screw up anything. Listen to me, there's one more thing I learnt while working in the Caribbeans - he tucked her hair behind her ears and held her face between his palms. Thirrin nodded. - Once we docked on a tiny island and the staff got a bit of free time too, so I looked around and I met some local people who worshipped an acient god I hadn't known about until then. It's called the Drowned God, the god of the ocean. They have this mantra, which I instantly made my own. I felt it's true for my life and I guess it's true for yours too. _What is dead may never die, but rises stronger and harder._ He killed you inside. But you rose and became stronger than ever."

She almost believed what he'd said. His beautiful eyes, with the colors of the ocean, filled with passion, made her believe anything. Almost anything.

"Are you sure? - Thirrin asked. - Because I'm not. Remember my tattoo, under the snowflake? I'm still growing strong. I got it in Braavos, in memory of a trip I took with Garlan right after breaking up with _him._ In Braavos, I played hard. I had sex with more people than I could count. After returning to the UK, I basically continued it. I was slutty but I didn't care. I didn't want anything but seduce and rule over people and dropping them after one night. You are the exception" - she added, not looking at him.

"Thank you for sharing with me your story. I'm extremely sorry to get to know about it like this, but… It might have been written like this. And yes, I'm sure you're strong - he lifted up her face again and looked into her eyes. - The strongest person I know."

"You can't even imagine how much it means to me… And that you stayed… Thank you "

"Thank you for not dropping me in the past few weeks" - he laught. - Hey, you know what would be great? Going out somewhere, you seriously need to get away a little bit. I take you out.

"Like a date?" - she asked with wide eyes.

"Exactly. You'll wash your face, get dressed and we'll go out. I know a place which will cheer you up, I promise!"

"Maybe you're right, a nightout would do good for me" - she said and suddenly kissed him. This kiss was different than the others before: more gentle, trusting and passionate yet full of emotions, not just hunger.

Soon they broke apart.

"I should start getting ready" - Thirrin said, finally smiling.

"Okay, I'll wait for you downstairs!"

Thirrin smiled to him again as he was leaving. Then she washed her face, re-did her makeup putting more effort into it than usual when they used to meet. After fixing her hair too, she went to her wardrobe to choose an outfit. She didn't have a clue where Theon would take her so she didn't know what to wear. Secretly she wanted to impress him for this occasion. Finally she decided to wear dark grey skinny jeans, a pair of maroon high heeled ankle booties, a navy blue thin blouse, leather jacket and her Chanel purse.

"You're beautiful Snowflake." - he said sincerely when he saw her walking down the stairs.

She gave him a weak smile.

"I owe you Greyjoy. Hey… - she hesitated for a moment. - Would you mind… Would you like to spend the holidays with me and my family in Highgarden? Christmas is always fun, we always have a good time together, and you already know about Margaery's New Year's party, I think that's gonna be nice too... You haven't told me about your holiday plans so I figured it would be great to…" - Actually, it had been in her mind for a while, inviting Theon for the holidays but she didn't know how he would react.

"Of course - he interrupted her. - I mean, thank you, mine would be the pleasure to spend the holidays with you."

"Ohh… Perfect! You won't regret it! We can go soon but I text my Aunt first that I'll have a plus one, she organizes the whole thing every year… " - she reached for her phone and typed a message quickly.

She sent the text and looked up to him.

"I'm okay, let's go! - she said but he didn't seem to move. - What's wrong?" - she asked confused.

His hands didn't stop holding her waist as Theon asked her:

"Just one more question and I promise I'll leave alone the subject for tonight but… Who is this monster who destroyed you?"

Thirrin swallowed, but she could remain calm. She hadn't said his name out loud for a very long time. Because she was afraid, because she was disgusted, because she wanted to forget about all the events. But she could finally let go the past, yet she almost whispered the answer:

"Ramsay Snow."

 **A/N: Okay guys, lots of things happened in this chapter! What do you think? Also, listen to the song Nyina by Quimby, they're my favorite Hungarian band, they play alternative rock and I love them so much! I think the atmosphere of this song matches to this chapter perfectly. :)**


	18. Chapter 18

"Where are you taking me, Greyjoy?" - she asked after walking at least 10 blocks from the bus stop. Previously they'd travelled in the Northern Line for almost an hour and took a bus to go three stops further. The area looked very country-ish, with all the traditional houses, quiet streets and cute Christmas lights.

"You'll love that place, l only can say this - he winked. - Trust me, Snowflake! "

Thirrin rolled her eyes, knowing that the venue of their first date would remain a secret until the actual arrival. She couldn't even imagine what kind of place it would be. In the past, when she used to date like a normal person, back in high school, the boys took her to fancy cafés or restaurants, but she was sure Theon planned something completely different.

She felt a little nervous, because she hadn't been on an actual date since… Well, kind of forever, but it felt amazing to hold his hand since they left the house, to share earpods in the train, listening to Arctic Monkeys, to smile again because of him.

Yet she felt also strange a little bit, wearing a nice outfit, having smooth hair and proper makeup, considering that before she'd wear something very comfortable and nearly no makeup when he used to be around. Of course he'd seen her in pretty clothes but they usually hadn't stayed on for long and after Thirrin would just throw on an old black T-Shirt, which said "THEON G. STAFF MEMBER" on the back.

 _Holy shit, first date… Sounds so weird yet feels so right_ \- she thought and smiled up to him. He returned it with a I'm-up-to-something-awesome kind of smile.

The night was misty and dark, not much could be seen, only a luminous building could catch the eye in the end of the street. As they were getting closer to it, the air became more and more fulfilled with laughter and cheerful melodies - not necessarily Christmas-ones, which was kind of relieving.

Thirrin was so lost in her thoughts that she almost didn't notice that they'd stopped, in front of this building. She saw that it was a pub called "Dear Old Ireland", according to the huge green letters. Lots of people were standing near the door, with a pint of beer in one hand and a cigarette in the another. The atmosphere looked very pleasant and friendly.

"Here we are - Theon said, with shining eyes. - My favorite place in the whole city. We're doing an Irish night, what do you say?" - he seemed a bit nervous too, which made him somehow cute. Thirrin chuckled of the thought.

"I say I'm in!" - she smiled and kissed him on the cheek, encourageing.

He led her inside. The crowd was bigger than she could imagine (even though she got used to the crowded places): people were sitting by tables, having dinner; sitting by the bar talking; stereos everywhere, playing Irish songs pretty loudly. As it was Christmas time, the place was nicely decorated for the holidays with mistletoes and wreaths made of holly leaves and berries. The Christmas lights looked like candles with their yellow light.

As they entered, almost every head turned to them. Thirrin got used to it, but this time Theon was the true superstar. The people around them greeted him with a smiles and wavings. The bartender even added:

"Bloody hell Greyjoy, you don't deserve a lassie like her!"

"Shut up and give us two pints of red and a table… She's my date!" - Theon shouted back.

"You don't do that mate! Sweetheart, feel yourself very exceptional… - he turned to Thirrin. - You really are exceptional, by the way."

"I've already known about that, but thank you for warning me!" - Thirrin said with bright smile.

"Fierce and beautiful… Keep her forever Theon!"

"I don't want to rush things but thanks for the advice!"

As they were searching for a free table, Thirrin noticed she was blushing. She wasn't sure if it happened because she was still nervous or because of the "Keep her forever".

They sat down a little further from the crowd. Thirrin'd just started reading the menu (she'd realized during the journey how hungry she had been) when she heard an unfamiliar voice.

"Hey Greyjoy, don't you even greet us, mate? - A guy came to them from a near table. - You said you won't go because…" - but when he saw Thirrin he didn't say anything else just smiled like a weirdo.

"I was right Patrek, I really do have other stuff to do! - Theon laughed. - After the exam I told my friends I can't go to drink with them because I have better plans " - he explained.

"So she's the better plan? - The other guy asked. - Patrek Mallister, by the way."

"Thirrin Woodley" - she smiled.

"Yeah, Thirrin's my… Kind of date" - Theon said, searching for the best expression.

"Thought so… Well, have a nice evening!" - Patrek winked and left.

"Shit, I should've known they'd be here… " - Theon muttered, rolling his eyes.

"No problem - Thirrin said quickly. - I mean, now that you'll come for Christmas, you have to meet Margaery, we'll explain you everything about the Tyrell holidays."

"What's there to explain? Christmas is Christmas and New Year's is New Year's, right?" - he raised his eyebrows.

"We're Tyrells, it's not that simple. There are a whole bunch of events, you should arrive prepared, trust me. But they're fun anyways. At least, most of the time" - Thirrin sighed, remembering last Christmas which happened to be in the worst period of her life.

"If you say so…"

Soon a waiter arrived with two pints of red ale and two glasses of fine Irish whiskey and asked them what they wanted to eat.

"Ladies first!" - Theon smiled.

"Would you mind if I were my honest self and have a steak? - Thirrin asked. - I simply LOVE it, but I don't have often opportunity to have it."

"Whatever you want, in fact, steak sounds so great. I guess we both kind of deserve it… Okay, then two steaks, rare, with whiskey sauce and mashed potatoes, please."

The waiter nodded and left.

Silence fell on them. Thirrin was playing with her cup, looking at her nails while Theon was checking his phone. He also looked like who feels awkward in dates. Probably he didn't got uset to it either, just like Thirrin. Finally he asked:

"Seems random but I've already wanted to ask… What have you been reading lately? Now that exam season is over, I want to read something not school-related."

She sighed in relief. Talking about books was one of their favorite topics, besides series and sports.

"I'm re-reading Harry Potter, for like a millionth time - she smiled. - I'm reading The Goblet of Fire now, that's my favorite. When I first read it I changed my mind and I wanted to attend Beauxbatons instead of Hogwarts."

"That's so you… My favorite is The Half-Blood Prince, it's incredible! It's heartbreaking, but still amazing. I loved the flashback chapters, for example."

"I guess all the books are masterpieces. Oh, speaking of, what's your Hogwarts house?"

"I've been thinking about it for ages… I always wanted to be a Gryffindor, but I don't know if I could fit in… What's yours?"

"I think you'd make an amazing Gryffindor - _You're my goddamned savior, Theon Greyjoy_. - As for me, I'm a Slytherin, no question asked."

"True, you really are a Slytherin. Anyways, thanks for the idea Snowflake. Last time I read Harry Potter I still worked on the ship. I guess it's time for re-reading."

"You really should. It's actually my Christmas tradition. I only broke it once, last year."

"Because of… ?"

"Yeah. Last Christmas was a disaster for me. Luckily Garlan brought her French girlfriend so I wasn't the main attraction, but still… I

remember I told Dad about the whole thing on Christmas Eve, after the midnight service. He was shocked, he couldn't even imagine what I'd been through. We drank a bottle of Scotch together, just to be on the safe side. I don't know which was more terrible: the experience itself or sharing it with Dad - she shivered. - Sorry, I shut up about this mess."

"No… I mean, you don't have to. If you want to talk about it, do it. Hey… I swear to you if I ever meet him, he'll be punished for everything he did to you "- he said looking into her eyes deeply, squeezing her hand on the table.

"Thank you - she whispered and raised her glass. - Cheers for new beginnings!"

"For new beginnings" - Theon smiled back.

The whiskey was really good, just like the beer. Thirrin's never had red beer before. It tasted different and felt a bit stronger but she liked in anyways. While drinking they continued talking about basically anything what popped into their mind, ordering another rounds.

When the mouthwatering steaks arrived, Thirrin started eating like she would have been starved for a week. This confusing and weird evening deserved a big slice of bloody beef with way too much potatoes on the side, whiskey and that amazeness of red beer.

"I haven't had a proper meal since forever - Theon muttered with full mouth. - I lived on coffee, Red Bull, biscuits and frozen stuff in exam period."

"Same by me, I think I ordered pizza almost every day. Margaery tried to make me drink organic green tea instead of black tea or coffee, but she didn't succeed - Thirrin laughed. - She's kind of obsessed with this healthy lifestyle thing, she does yoga and Pilates and all that stuff. I don't know how she makes time for it, with the school and our company."

"Does she have a…. Man in her life?" - Theon asked.

"No - Thirrin admitted. - Margaery believes in the power couple theory. You don't want to know its details, but the point is that she haven't had a boyfriend since high school. Honestly, I think she really needs to get laid properly as soon as possible."

"Just like Robb…" - he murmured.

"What?"

"Nothing" - Theon shook his head quickly.

They finished dinner soon, with more rounds of beer. Thirrin felt she got a bit drunk: she was positively blushing, she was smiling too much and she was staring at Theon's lips more than it would be normal. She got used to drinking alcohol, she could stay on the level of a healthy booze for long, but this time it was different. The whole series of events itself was crazy enough, adding alcohol to it would lead to something extra crazy yet amazing. She knew that very well and she didn't mind. She felt like her every single problem would have flewn away. She was staring at him like she would see him for the first time.

 _Holy crap, why are you so hot? How do you do it, Greyjoy?_ \- She felt dizzy, she didn't see clearly, only lights ands colors. Also, she didn't want anything just him, to kiss him, to feel his touch all over her body. - _At first sight you don't seem hot at all, but then you smile and say some greeting and BOOOOM, everyone's attracted to you. Then one discoveres why you're so fucking hot: your hair is soft, your hands are strong, your body is simply amazing, your accent is like I would talk to a pirate, your eyes are like the Irish ocean, and when you're holding me while having sex and…_

"Earth calling Thirrin Woodley!" - she suddenly heard his voice calling her.

"I was listening!" - she answered quickly.

"You were staring at my lips, babe. Do you know what it means?" - he winked.

"Exactly" - she said fiercely, stood up, walked to him and kissed him hard, out of the blue. He kissed her back, pulling her to his lap. They heard cheering around them.

They laughed, breaking the kiss.

"Just to know, everyone's watching us - Theon whispered. - Also, you're drunk."

"I know - Thirrin gasped. - But I don't care… I want you..."

He looked into her eyes deeply, holding her face, with desire in his eyes _\- How the hell can you have such beautiful eyes? -,_ but she saw something else too: admire and worries.

"What's wrong?" - she asked.

"You're fucking sexy right now, you have to know that. But we don't need to do it tonight, I mean, after what happened…"

"But I want it! Theon, I'm completely okay, you don't have to worry about me… Besides, I need to thank you this date properly!" - she smiled.

"Then… My place is closer than yours" - he smiled back and kissed her.

Later she couldn't remember how they ended up in his room. Kissing in the pub, intensely making out in the back of the taxi, throwing down their clothes - Thirrin felt like all of this would have happened in minutes.

She was leaning against the wall while he was kissing her neck and her collarbones. His lips barely touched her skin, he was holding her by the waist like he would be afraid of breaking her. Thirrin literally felt the butterflies in her stomach as he returned to kiss her lips again very very softly. She closed her eyes, she didn't need to see anything, only feel: the salty-smoky taste of his mouth, his boiling hot touch all over her upper body, the sound of his heavy breathing while kissing.

She moaned as he carefully unhooked her belt and started removing her jeans and panties. She followed his example.

"I've never wanted you this much before" - Theon whispered as he was pulling her closer.

"Me neither" - she gasped and kissed him again.

He lifted her up and put her to the bed, but she didn't lay down. Instead, Thirrin wrapped her legs around his waist, so they were looking into each others' eyes when he entered. The green ocean was burning like fire, just like bright blue ice.

Their rhythm was completely the same - very slow, very _romantic_ , just like the hungry, but still soft kisses. In the finish she arched back, left some scratches on his back and screamed out loud - she felt like her whole body would be burning, but he was burning with her too.

" _I don't know if you feel the same as I do, but we could be together, if you want me to"_ \- Theon quoted catching his breath after collapsing down, still holding her tightly.

" _Maybe I'm too busy being yours to fall for somebody new"_ \- Thirrin whispered quoting from the same song and kissed him.

Everything reminded her of their first night: a little wasted, just like back then. Randomly going to his place. Having sex intensely. Yet there was a big difference: as she was falling asleep in his arms, she felt whole, she felt safe, she felt _loved_.

 **A/N: Sorry for the delay guys, I didn't want to break my weekly update schedule but life happened, I hope you don't mind! In return, I'll try to update in the weekend too. :) I hope you liked this chapter, feel free to follow and review!**


	19. Chapter 19

**A/N: The upcoming chapters (including this one) are dedicated to all the Christmas fanatics out there! Personally, I love this time of the year and I'll show it through my writing too. :) Enjoy!**

Only a few days passed since they'd got together officially, but Theon hadn't seen any diffenece in their relationship, only his changed relationship status on social media. The big change came when he got introduced to Margaery Tyrell and all the family traditions.

Thirrin planned out the meeting, very carefully, arranging everything perfectly - even though it was just a casual talk at their place. They were sitting in the livingroom, waiting for the famous cousin. Previously Thirrin would tell a lot of thing about the girl who seemed a sister of hers, not just a cousin, but he'd never met her. He was curious, though, how she was like in person.

Thirrin seemed a little bit nervous, which he found adorable: he knew Margaery was one of the most important people in Thirrin's life, she must have wanted that he would get along with her. As for him, Theon was quite calm, he didn't consider the evening that risky.

"I don't know where she could be… - Thirrin said, checking her phone. - She said she would come back by seven, and it's already 7.15, Margaery's never late…"

"There might be some traffic - he shrugged. - The city is loaded, everyone's running errands for Christmas. Relax, Snowflake!" - he put his hand onto her thigh.

"You must be right… You know, I really want you two to like each other - she admitted. - Also, I want this Christmas to be perfect. I want to recover the holidays of last year." - she smiled bitterly.

He smiled back and gently kissed her on the lips.

"It's gonna be fine - he said. - Your family, including your cousin will be fond of me!"

"Really hope so!" - she smiled back.

Suddenly they heard the front door open, some footsteps and a sweet voice that sounded like a melody from the hall:

"Good evening guys! I have some excellent news, and I got some apple cider from Winter Wonderland too, they must be still hot enough… - Based on the sounds the girl put down everything she'd carried and tried to pull off her coat. - First of all, I went home to pick up some of Mom's Christmas Scrapbooks, I brought the ones of latest three years, and some olders too, just for fun. Thirrin, you can't even imagine how happy everyone is for you! Uncle D says he can't wait for meeting your boyfriend, and ohh, we're invited for Grandma's afternoon tea on Christmas Eve's day! I bet it's because of our company… Then I met Ygritte for a coffee, she got me our official image photos, and oh my goodness, all of them look so nice, we'll have a hard time choosing which one to upload! Also, I gave her some advice what to visit and see in Paris, they're leaving in the morning. She's such a lucky girl, spending the holidays in Paris with that hot boyfriend of hers!"

Thirrin and Theon exchanged a quick look.

"Does she always talk this much?" - he whispered.

"She's just high on caffeine - Thirrin said. - Wait, I'm helping her out" - she stood up and walked out of the room. In some moments she returned with an exceptionally beautiful girl.

If Thirrin was the Queen of Winter, Margaery was the Queen of Fairies. Her kind smile irradiated the room, her big brown eyes were shining, she seemed a very sophisticated and educated young woman in general. On pictures the two girls almost seemed twins, but in person he could tell lots of differences: Margaery's hair was light brown, her face was rounder, her eyes were brown and her figure was the definition of petite.

He stood up to greet her.

"Hello, we haven't met before though I've heard a lot about you. Theon Greyjoy" - he smiled, shook her small, soft hand and kissed her on the cheek. She smelled like sweet roses.

"I could tell the same about you. Margaery Tyrell, nice to meet you - she smiled back. - And I have to tell you that I'm very happy for you guys. It's nice to see my cousin happy again."

"Well, khm… thanks - he said, trying not to blush. - I'm doing my best to make her happy."

"Oh you're so sweet! - Thirrin exclaimed and kissed him on the cheek. - I guess there's no need for further introduction, you'll get to know each other in the holidays anyway."

"Agree - Margaery nodded. - Shall we begin? I thought we could use the Christmas Scrapbooks to illustrate what we'll tell" - she pointed at the colorful, richly decorated notebooks on the table. The cover of the one on the top said "Christmas 2014" with thick, glittery, red and white letters.

"Are you thinking of those?" - he asked, raising his eyebrows.

"Aunt Alerie - her mother - is a scrapbooker, she makes a Christmas Scrapbook in memory of the annual holiday - Thirrin explained. - It's like a photo album, but more personal and creative."

Theon almost asked who the hell has actually time for arts&craft, but Margaery answered beforehand:

"I know what are you thinking, but my mother has to do something in her free time! She loves the holidays anyway, and it's definitely better than decorating the house with way too much Christmas lights." - It was clear there's no need for more words about the famous Christmas Scrapbooks.

So he found himself sitting on the couch between the two girls, with a mug of hot apple cider in his hand, listening to Margaery who seemed just as passionate for the holidays as her mother:

"Okay, as you know Christmas is the most important celebration of the church and the Golden Rose Inc. The holidays are basically a long series of events, business and family-related ones as well. The celebration begins in mid December with the Christmas parties that are organized individually by every company of the group. The collective Christmas party is a wine-tasting dinner on December 22th. Every president of the companies are present, so do their closest family members. We always use the ballroom as dining hall. It's a full 6-course meal with the latest Redwyne products. Personally, I love their rosé champagnes and their fresh white wines.… Anyway, it's a semi-formal event, the purpose is having fun while discussing the plans for next year. My Dad usually has some not that creative speech too, but you can survive it if you drink enough."

He modestly smiled while making mental notes:

 _December 22th, wine tasting dinner. Business partners - BE POLITE AND PROPER!_

"Speaking of, you must know that these few days will be passed in a nice delirium - Thirrin cut in. - The holiday season is basically excuse for everyone to drink daytime and nighttime. So get ready for range selection of wine, champagne, whisky, eggnog, and even coctails, at least Grandma never misses out her usual vodka-martini."

Her cousin looked at her like she would have disgraced Christmas collectively.

"I don't think that would be the point, but thank you Thirrin. All in all, it's quite entertaining despite the fact that it's an actual business event - Margaery continued. - The next day we finish the last touches: wrapping presents, running last errands if needed, things like that. For example, Thirrin, my brothers and I used to watch some Christmas film in the afternoon. Guests who stay for the holidays tend to arrive this day, too.

"I'll show you some pictures… - Thirrin took the first album and turned to the right pages. He could tell the room was beautiful, tastefully decorated for Christmas, and all the guests seemed prestigious people, dressed in quality clothes, eating gourmet dinner. He quickly searched for Thirrin and he found her on one close shot: she was sitting next to a man who had massive figure, dark red hair and beard and the same ice-blue eyes as her - he must have been her father. She was wearing a simple black dress which made her look even skinnier. He noticed the dark circles under her eyes and her forced smile. _Though she was so beautiful back then too._ \- Last year's wine tasting dinner, here you are… Is everything clear so far?"

"Yes, I think so" - he nodded.

"Then I'll tell you how Christmas Eve's day is - Thirrin said. - Everyone gets ready for the dinner, so daytime we're usually free. Someone has tea with Grandma, she always asks some of us to have Christmas tea with her. It's a very special occasion, usually those members of the family are invited who's made something exceptional lately, like making significant headway in their carreer or getting together with someone. Last year Garlan and his French girl were the chosen ones. Margaery, what was her name, Claire or Chloé?"

"No idea, but after that Grandma told me that she'll stop support Garlan if he dares to marry that girl. Luckily he broke up with her soon. Anyway - Margaery continued -, before dinner we always have a little family photoshoot for the Christmas Scrapbook, these are the ones from last year, these, however, from the year before last year… - The photos looked very professional, the background was simple yet it was obvious they were taken in one of the rooms of Highgarden. Entire family (he counted at least 20 people) pictures, smaller group pictures, individual shots. Thirrin was dressed into a long sparkly white-silver dress which made her really look like a snowflake. Margaery, however, thanks to her green dress, in his opinion looked like a delicate Christmas tree. - You should dress up very nicely, a suit and a tie would be perfect. The dinner takes place in the big dining hall, it's for the closest family - first cousins only. We always have somewhat traditional English Christmas dinner, which means there's some kind of twist in the menu, something unusual or new, I think it's pretty good. Once finished Christmas dinner we leave for the midnight service in the Westminster… "

"Is it a problem that I'm Catholic, not Anglican?" - he cut in.

"Oh sure, you're Irish after all… - Thirrin sighed. - Though it's okay. Everyone who matters in London goes to the midnight service to the Westminster, even the Martells who are just as Catholic as the Roman pope, because of their Spanish origins. Besides, it's very beautiful, you really can find some relief, regardless the religion."

"Thirrin's right, you don't have to worry about it - Margaery agreed. - At church we eventually see some familiar faces, too. When we return it's actually pretty late so after some last bites of cake everyone goes to bed."

"Christmas day, breakfast - Thirrin continued. - Buffet style, with amazing breakfast foods: porridge, full English, full Scott - it was introduced actually by my Dad, he's Scott -, then waffles, pancakes, you name it - she illustrated her words with photos of tables covered with delicious-looking meals. Everything was just as perfect as in an interior design magazine. - Most of them are perfect hangover foods, too, which is awesome, because once returned from the midnight service certain members of our family tend to have one or two good night cheers. Just a personal example: 2008, some bottles of Moet champagne, Margaery, Loras and me. That was the time when he came out to us. Anyway, while eating, we open the presents, play with our new toys, more specifically, try on the clothes and try to set up the electric stuff for the rest of the day. Then, in the evening, we all get dressed in a very fancy way because we go to see the Christmas ballet at the Royal Opera House…"

"What the fuck?" - he blurted out. Wearing suit and tie every night, okay. Meeting with a bunch of new people who probably despise people like him, manageable. But Christmas ballet? No one mentioned it before.

"Christmas ballet, Theon! - she repeated. - The Nutcracker by Tchaikovsky, might sound familiar… It's a tradition since we were little! Besides, it's beautiful and worth to see! If it makes you feel better, we continue drinking lots of champagne at the theatre too."

"Okay, I think I'll survive it… - he protested. - But seriously, Christmas ballet?"

"Come on, it's a theatre performance, not the end of the world! - Margaery rolled her eyes.- By the way, once we went to an ice show, remember, Thirrin? It was really long ago, I guess we were like ten or something… "

"The Nutcracker on Ice? - she asked with luminous eyes. - Mom was with us too, so I think we were either eight or nine."

"Oh yeah… I remember now, it was Aunt Alysone's idea, and we both were way too excited. But it was so amazing, I'd like to go to an ice show again."

As the girls were sharing the Christmas stories, Theon got more and more scared. He had to realize that one thing is fucking with Thirrin Woodley and another is dating with her. While the first one only included sex, talk and junk food, to the second option lots of frustrating things were added: wine tasting dinners, an overcritical Grandma, more suits than he owned, goddamned Christmas ballets and fucking smalltalks with the poshest people of the UK.

 _And I thought the Starks were elite… Mrs S might be a perfectionist and Sansa might try to show herself a true lady, but this is the real upper class. And they don't just pretend it, they truly are like this… That mansion, those dinners, THE BREAKFAST… Jesus fucking Christ, her sparkly dress probably worth more than my entire wardrobe…_

"Me too… Or to skate in general, I really miss skating sometimes" - Thirrin sighed.

"Wait, you used to skate, like a sport? - he asked suddenly. - You've never told me before!"

"Yeah, but eventually I stopped when I started high school - she explained. - I was quite good at it, but not good enough to do it on a higher level. Hey, what about going to skate on Boxing Day, in the evening? Or sometimes before New Year's?"

"I'm in, we'll discuss it with the others later - Margaery said. - Speaking of, back to the programme! On Boxing Day we traditionally go shopping because winter sales are beginning! Of course you don't have to, but I'm expecting you - she pointed at Thirrin - to come with me. I still have to complete my outfit for New Year's."

"Okay, I hope I'll find something nice too. The days between Christmas and New Year's are quite casual, we just relax, don't do anything productive, and to be honest, I love it. When we were about fourteen or fifteen, during those days Margaery and I binge-watched Sex and The City while eating leftover cookies and drinking mulled wine."

"Gosh, that was so great! - Margaery laughed. - Honestly, we need to loosen up a little bit, everyone needs some rest before the best party of the year!"

"New Year's is Margaery's job - Thirrin explained - , half of London is invited and it's very professional. I mean it, sweetie! It's always a themed-party, last year it was Gatsby - I dressed up as a perfect flapper girl and drank way too much champagne. The year before there was Vampire Ball, then there was a royalty party, a black and white party… "

 _Fine, now New Year's is turned to a fancy event too, awesome…_

"Ohh thank you Thirrin! I'm glad you like my parties! This year's theme is World War II, New Year's in the 40's, period dress is partly required and I really hope you can dance the swing. It's going to be the best New Year's party you've ever been to, I promise!"

Theon doubted a little bit, but he could already see Margaery's put much effort to organizing the event and the theme was even interesting.

"So it's like a Halloween party, where you should dress up?" - he asked.

"Kind of - Thirrin answered. - It's more casual than a Halloween party, but I had a hard time choosing my costume anyway. As for yours, however, I think it's very easy. White trousers, white blazer, some medals with ribbons, a white and blue peaked cap and you're ready to serve your country, _Captain Greyjoy_ " - she whispered into his ear, gently squeezing his thigh.

"Sounds great… - he smirked. - Also, I would like you to repeat that in another context, because it's fucking sexy…"

They leant closer to each other and their lips almost united in a kiss, but Margaery cut in:

"Hold on a little bit, I'm almost finished! I suppose you can imagine how a New year's party is like, but here are some pictures of last year's Gatsby-party as an example - she searched for some pictures in her phone. - New Year's day, however, brings enormous hangover to most of the guests. To everyone, actually, except for me. But I'm prepared with Advil, cold water and lots of carbs."

"Thank you Margaery, we understand that you've never been hangover, which is kind of unhealthy in my opinion, considering that you're a university student. For once in a lifetime you should try mixing drinks like crazy, sometimes it can be fun!" - Thirrin winked.

"I think I'm gonna be okay without it. Aaand… finished! Any questions?" - Margaery asked.

"Yes. Every event you make is that over-organized?" - he succeed to summarize everything that popped into his mind into one brief

question.

"Relax, it isn't that complicated as it looks. Trust me, Theon! - she sqeezed his hand and looked into his eyes. - Besides the showing off game, the gourmet meals and designer outfits, we truly love each other, therefore Christmas is always amazing. I think Margaery explained everything perfectly, I just wanted to add that be kind, be yourself and have fun! Again, despite how it looks like, we're a friendly and open family, I'm sure everyone will like you!"

"If you say so… - he said slowly, still not that convinced. - But I guess I need a shopping spree, I don't think I have enough elegant stuff. The Starks didn't require that much dress-up."

"I can imagine… What about tomorrow? We can go in the morning, after breakfast!"

"Okay. Margaery, thank you for everything. I think I'm prepared enough for the holiday season."

Though he still wasn't that confident enough, he wanted to impress Thirrin's family, so he decided to do his best. Luckily he was quite easy to like, even if he put a bit effort into it, too. If he succeed to get to like himself by the Starks (which wasn't easy at all), he could manage to make a good impression in her girlfriends's family, too.

 **A/N: I hope you liked this chapter! Also, I wanted to let you know that winter is coming and exam period too :D, which means I have LOTS OF studying to do. Therefore I'm not sure if I'll be able to update next week, though I don't want to break my schedule. I'll update when I can, thank you for understanding!**


	20. Chapter 20

The first day of winter break arrived with a massive amount of snow which surprisingly stayed, so Oxford was covered with a nice, sparkly white coat, looking like a magical town of tales. Everyone got Christmas spirit because of the snow, even those as well who previously hadn't looked forward to the holidays. Everyone, except one person: Arya Stark.

Arya still wasn't into Christmas mood, even though Winterfell had been decorated with nice silver, blue and red colors since the beginning of December, everyone around her was talking about Christmas all the time and she even had to attend the annual concert of the school chorus (Sansa was the superstar of the show, of course).

At least she was happy that school finally finished and she could have some rest after finals' week. About that, she really deserved it, after getting pretty good grades and " _making significant headway in her Italian vocabulary in just a few weeks - Miss Stark has excellent sense for languages, she only needs to work a little harder for the rest of the year"_. No one had to know that endless texting in Italian with one specific Erasmus student was the reason of the "significant headway".

It was late morning when she woke up, but didn't get out of the bed right away. Instead, she enjoyed a little bit more the warmth of her blankets. She reached for her phone and scrolled through social media. Nothing interesting happened - except that Jon and Ygritte had arrived to Paris safely and uploaded a bunch of pictures of the city at night. Both seemed delighted and happy. She was smiling while liking all of them.

She stretched herself out, thinking about what to do during the day when she got a message.

 _GW: Later today do you want to meet up? We should celebrate winter break! ;)_

 _AS: I'm in, we can meet right now. I just need to get ready._

 _GW: OK. Usual spot in an hour?_

 _AS: Okay, see you soon!_

Arya wanted to avoid spending the first day of winter break cleaning and listening to her sister singing, so she was glad Gendry texted her. Although earlier she was planning on staying in bed, sneaking upstairs some food and binge-watch the latest season of Orange is The New Black, hanging out with Gendry seemed just as fun.

She jumped out of the bed, took out of the wardrobe some clothes (thick socks, black leggings, burgundy oversize sweater), in her bathroom she quickly washed her face and threw on some light makeup, picked up her phone, wallet and keys and run downstairs. Their home was big enough to being able to avoid certain rooms if she wanted to sneak out. The rest of her family was still in the dining hall, having breakfast, so no one noticed when she reached the hall, put on her Martens boots and khaki furry coat and quickly left the house.

Gendry was her best friend. Sometimes she thought he was her only friend. Neither of them could recall how their friendship had started - they became friends a few years ago, it was sure, but how? The mystery will never be solved. Nobody understood how they could get along: the talented fencer from the richest family in town and the guy from the car repair shop who attends the local public high school. But she didn't care what others thought. They might have fought sometimes and he might have been a stupid bull, but he understood her the way others didn't, he avoided any unnecessary drama and it was fun spending time with him, and that's what really matters.

He was waiting for her in the town center, smiling. She smiled back - his simple presence could cheer her up instantly.

"Hey, Arya, how are you?" - he asked after hugging each other.

"Fine, thanks. Enjoying the first day of winter break. You?"

"Same here. What do you want to do?"

"First off, grab some food. I'm starving, I couldn't have breakfast."

"Sounds good" - he nodded.

They went to a near bakery-café, ordered two big cups of coffee and some croissants with butter and jam.

Once sat to a table, she raised her cup:

"Cheers for winter break!"

"For winter break! What are you going to do in the holidays?"

"Planning a Die Hard marathon with my younger brothers and killing anyone who mentions Love Actually. RIP Robb's girlfriend and Sansa."

"Are you still being Grinch?" - he rolled his eyes. For some mysterious reason what Arya couldn't understand Gendry really liked the holidays.

"I'm just not in the Christmas mood, that's it. It'll be cheesy and boring. Robb's perfectly ladylike girlfriend is spending the holidays with us, it'll be her first Stark Christmas, so Mom has gone totally crazy, organizing everything like we would live in a stupid romcom."

"It might turn out good. Or I guess shitty Christmases are part of life… My Uncle always says the worst holidays are when you first move from home."

"Well, they've come two years earlier."

"Admit it, you're angry because your brother has left for Paris" - he pointed out

Arya quietly nodded.

"I shouldn't be - she said then. - I mean, they're perfect together, moreover, they're the only couple I like. Except for Mom and Dad, of course. Oh, and Theon Greyjoy and his girlfriend. You know, he's Robb's roommate and he's got such a cool girlfriend, I saw her on Instagram. Anyway, it's going to be weird celebrating without Jon. Last Christmas was so much fun! Mom didn't make such a big deal of it, she doesn't love Jon so she didn't want to impress his girlfriend. Still, we had a nice, casual, fun Christmas with lots of food and Star Wars marathon. We watched all the six films, Dad finally forgot about work for a while, Mom didn't expect Robb to propose anyone, Theon took over the kitchen so we drank those American whisky-based cocktails and it was so… Chill."

"Wait, now your Mom's expecting Robb to propose his girlfriend?" - he raised his eyebrows.

"I can imagine… I mean, I don't think I'm the only one who knows what Jon is up to."

"Why, what is he planning on?"

"You're really that stupid?! Come on Gendry, taking the love of your life to goddamned PARIS for the holidays doesn't scream PROPOSAL to you? - she blurted out. - Nevermind. But the thing is that Mom can't support the idea of Jon being better at something than Robb, and he's ALREADY achieved more than Robb. I won't be surprised if my dear mother would want my poor brother to marry his girlfriend like on Christmas Day."

"Jesus Arya, calm down. I'm sure you're just overthinking it."

"No, Gendry, I mean it. My mother thinks we still live in the Jane Austin-era and people still do arrangement marriages in this part of the world. And how much of a Mommy's Boy Robb can be I'm afraid he'll do something stupid, like actually proposing his girlfriend."

"He's grown up, there's no need for you to worry about it. You should stop being Grinch and try to enjoy the holidays, don't you think?"

"I just…" - she started but couldn't finish. Or she didn't want to.

She's never told anyone what's been storming in her mind lately. The fear of losing her brother, her favorite brother for good. She wasn't ready yet. Deep in her mind she knew it was insane, that he'd never leave her forever, but stil… It was hard letting him go.

"Look, if it becomes that bad, you always can drop by, we'll have lots of food on the table and awfully hilarious Christmas films in the TV. And some warm beer too."

"Be careful what you promise Waters, I might show up - she smiled finally. - Thank you."

"That's what friends are for, right?" - he smiled back.

Before she could say anything, her phone buzzed: she's got a message:

" _Dicono che non nevichi così tanto in questa parte d'Inghilterra. Un uomo è deluso." (They say it doesn't snow this much in this part of England. A man is disappointed.)_

" _Un uomo è stupido. Così si ha l'illusione di un cosidetto Natale di fantasia." (A man is stupid. So there's the illusion of a so-called fantasy-Christmas.)_ \- she texted back.

" _Una ragazza ha ragione. Però, un uomo preferisce il Natale catalano nel senso meteorologico. Una ragazza dovrebbe vederlo una volta." (A girl's right. Though a man prefers the Catalan Christmas in the meteorological sense. A girl should see it once.)_

She laughed mentally, yet his last sentence made her think again about traveling. Since they'd started talking, her desire to see the world has grown bigger and bigger. He'd been beautiful and interesting places: roadtrip in Italy, sailing in the Mediterranean Sea, backpack tour in Asia, adventures like this.

"A girl should see the world, a girl needs new experience" - he told her once. She agreed and lately she found herself looking at pictures on the Internet of places she wanted to go.

She always wanted to be spontaneous, dropping everything and starting a new life. Too many people inspired her to think so: Jon, who sacrificed her high school grades and sleeping time to go to London to study art. Ygritte, who'd been having some kind of job since she was fifteen and left Scotland by herself for the same reason. Theon Greyjoy, who practically escaped from Northern Ireland to work in the States. And Jaqen…

"Who are you texting with?" - Gendry asked, suddenly waking her up from her daydreams.

"No one" - she answered quickly.

"Arya! You're positively texting with someone."

"I do, but it's none of your business."

"The Spanish guy, am I right?"

"He's CATALAN, not Spanish!"

"Whatever" - he rolled his eyes.

"Why are you looking at me like this? - Arya asked confused. - Maybe it bothers you?"

"No! I just can't even imagine what the hell could you two talk about. I mean, he's like 22 or something and is at university, while you…"

"Others can't imagine how WE can be friends. I guess I can get along with people I'm not expected to get along with."

"Okay, but seriously Arya… You should be careful. I mean, he's older, he's a stranger and anyways… Does your family even knows about him?"

"Fuck it Gendry, don't go into big brother mode! And no, my family doesn't know about him, exactly because of this. Mom would freak out and Dad and my older brothers would give me a boring speech about how dangerous foreign people can be. It's just good interacting with someone who thinks differently, that's all."

"They would be right! I'm not your brother but I don't want you to get hurt or something."

"How would I? Look, drop the subject, I don't want to fight with you, I already have enough stuff to stress about. Besides, I need you for Christmas Eve. You know, in case it would turn out a disaster" - she smiled to him.

"But… You're right, let's just drop it" - he agreed but he still looked worried. And Arya couldn't stop think about that he's been over-protecting because he might be actually jealous...

 **A/N: Sorry for the delay guys, as I told you, school has gone crazy lately, but fortunately it's better now, though it's exam period. Anyway, I hope you liked the update, the next one will come soon!**


	21. Chapter 21

Christmas was definitely coming, he could feel it in the air, but just like his youngest sister, Robb wasn't really in Christmas mood either. He just wanted to get through on it safely and calmly, because for what was coming after, well, he needed to stay strong. He tried to pretend that everything is okay, and it wasn't that hard as Jeyne actually thought that everything is perfectly okay between them.

But things already started getting worse in the first morning after their arrival. He was walking down the stairs to have breakfast, when he heard loud voices from the dining hall, it seemed like his whole family had been into a huge fight:

"I'M SURE IT'S A CARTIER!" - Sansa screamed hysterically.

"I don't think it would be a Cartier, those are… Well, you might be right" - that was Jeyne.

"Holy Mother of God, how could he afford a diamond ring?! I hope he didn't do anything illegal… " - his mother said, obviously.

"Fuck that damned ring, is it that important where he got it?" - he heard Arya's annoyed voice.

"Arya, I've told you several times, don't swear like a sailor!"

Robb stopped. He could figure out right away what's been going on: Jon proposed to Ygritte, she said yes, and everyone learnt about it that morning. He took his phone to look for evidence and soon he found it on Facebook: a photo of a beautiful, simple white gold ring with an arrow-shaped diamond on a pale hand, posted about an hour ago. A life event was added too: Jon Stark and Ygritte Wilde are engaged.

So it happened. He knew it would happen soon, yet it felt so… Strange. It became real, official and it made his anxiety grow bigger. He even thought for a minute about skipping breakfast, but then he decided to take a risk and enter to hell (sorry, to the dining hall).

"Robb, have you heard? JON PROPOSED TO YGRITTE THIS MORNING AND SHE SAID YES!" - Sansa screamed when he arrived.

Every head turned to him. They cleary expected him to get excited about the news, but Robb decided not to make a scene (or develop the previous one) and sat down beside Jeyne.

"Yes, I did - he nodded. - Congrats for them."

"You don't seem that surprised at all - Sansa said with disappointed face. - Anyway, tell Arya that a proper wedding DOES require bridesmaids and…"

"Darling, calm down, it's not your wedding. Robb, did you too know about Jon's plan?" - his father asked.

"Well… Yes, I mean he mentioned he wants to…"

"Hell Robb, I'm sure he didn't just MENTION it! - Arya cut in. - At least to me he said he found the one and he wants to spend the rest of his life with her."

"Okay, he told me that too, are you happy now? Why do you ask, Dad, didn't he talk to you about it?"

"No, but honestly I don't mind, he's grown up and he can make his own decisions. He's happy with Ygritte and that's the most important thing. The details can be discussed after they returned from Paris."

It was obvious he didn't want to continue talking about the subject and Robb was very grateful to him because of it.

Seemed like the storm passed away, the breakfast continued camly. But it was just an illusion. Only some minutes after his mother said:

"Robb, could you help me out please?"

"Okay Mom, I'm coming" - he nodded and followed her.

Once got to the kitchen, Catelyn closed the door, looked into his eyes and asked what he's been afraid of:  
"Look… Now that your… half-brother is about to get married, don't you think you should take a step further too?"

"Jesus, I knew it… - he muttered. - I'm sorry but my answer is no."

"Why not? You don't have to do it right away, I thought you should just plan out a proposal for next year. You and Jeyne are perfect together, why would you wait?"

"Because we haven't even gratuated yet!" - was the first thing that came into his mind but he already knew halfway it wasn't the best solution.

"Next year you'll graduate in Bsc and as we've talked about it earlier, there's no big need for you to do the Msc too. Besides, your half - brother didn't hesitated about this issue."

"I'm only 20, I don't think…" - he tried again, but didn't succeed.

"He's 20 too, and he's about to get married! Look Robb, I really appreciate what he's achieved, but you have to remember that you're the future representation of our family, and you have to…"

"I'm sorry I haven't started my professional carrer yet, you know, what I'll do DOES require a degree!"

 _Unless you're born for business, in that case you can start your own while at university._

"...take steps further too, people will think you're incompetent, which you are NOT, of course, but…"

"Mom, please stop! he cut in. - It's 2015, not 1815, I'm not missing anything if I don't get married by 22 or something…"

"CAN YOU EVEN IMAGINE HOW I FEEL?! Your father is so-overwhelmly proud of him, of course, he's his son, but NOT MINE! He's the disgrace in my life, the scandal, yet he's the one who's making progress, who's pushing back YOU!"

"IT'S INSANE! - he felt like the situation itself was insane too, yelling at each other about nonsense things. - I have absolutely no intention to compete with Jon, he's my brother, I know you hate hearing this, but it won't change the facts! I'm happy for him, for the life he's built up, so please let me live my own!"

Before she could react anything, Robb stormed out of the kitchen backdoor, run upstairs to his room and slammed the door.

"Fuck it…" - he whispered.

He and his mother were really close, he hated fighting with her, he was her favorite. You don't pick from your children ONE favorite, but it was obvious Robb was Catelyn's favorite. The handsome and clever boy, straight A-student since elementary school, heir of the family business, future father of future perfect kids. They even looked very alike, with the shape of their faces, their wavy auburn hair and bright blue eyes. But exactly because of it, he skipped the whole "figuring out my shit" - phase: he's always been told what he should do and he did what people expected him to do.

At this point Robb even started to question his choice of faculty. Was Business and Management his true goal or he was just being the perfect firstborn again? He quite liked what he'd been studying, he had good grades, his summer internship was successful ( _Of course, at our OWN company)_ , yet sometimes he wasn't sure if he really wanted this. Deep in his mind he knew it was insane, that others would kill for a family company which can provide you instant leader position, but he missed fighting for his dreams, like his brother or his best friend did.

The recent events made him realize the time came to figure out what he wanted to do with his life. And the first step was stepping out of a nearly non-existent relationship.

"Just hold on… - he whispered to himself. - Hold on until the goddamned Christmas is over. You can break up with her after that. You will seem a dickhead but that's it, life sucks. But if you don't want to go crazy, you have to break up with her. It's easier and more reasonable than dropping out of school and explaining it to your parents."

 **A/N: I know this chapter was shorter than usual, but I'm planning on updating again this week in return! :) I hope you liked it anyways!**


	22. Chapter 22

It was December 23th. Even though the dinner of the previous night was pretty long, Margaery woke up early. She didn't mind it, though, as she was a morning person: she liked morning workouts, long breakfasts, the feeling of a start of something new.

As she was scrolling through her phone, still in bed, she was making mental notes what she needed to do that day. After doing her quick morning routine in the bathroom, she put on her soft white robe, and still wearing sleeping outfit (red and green tartan shorts and lacey red top) she walked down to the small dining hall, where breakfast used to be served.

She was hoping she'd find some other early birds. Only two people were sitting by the table when she entered the room: her uncle and her eldest brother. Both already got dressed, they were sipping on a cup of coffee while reading their phone.

"Good morning!" - Margaery greeted them and sat next to her uncle.

"You too, Margaery. Already up?" - Uncle Darvon asked.

"I got used to it, Uncle D - she smiled. - Would you mind passing me the porridge?"

"Here you are, darling. I guess your green tea is in that little pot."

"Thank you. Have already arrived any feedbacks on the dinner?" - she asked.

"Oh yes, it's a success, as always, everyone loved it - Willas looked up from his phone. - I'm actually reading the "Thank you" - emails, and all of them are positive. Though I think the Martells will conquer the unofficial "Best Christmas Party" award this year too."

"Oberyn Martell has a natural talent for organizing parties - Uncle Darvon agreed. - No one can compete with their business parties."

"You should sneak in once and see what's their secret" - Margaery suggested while topping her porridge with fresh fruits.

"Ohh sis, I know exactly what's their secret: Dad isn't there trying to give a slightly drunk speech about how every company of the Golden Rose Inc. is actually a big family."

"Why, I think this last one was kind of bearable! - Garlan suddenly appeared. His hair was pulled back, his cheeks were burning in red and he was wearing running clothes. - Someone please pass me the scrambled eggs, I'm starving."

"At least Renly said our dinner was better than theirs - Margaery said. - I talked to him last night and he said his brother and his sister-in-law didn't even talk to each other, he's sure they'll divorce soon."

"They won't, Darling - he made a whisk. - Both of them know that their possible divorce would crash the company. The Lannisters could get by alone easily, but the Baratheons have been living on the Lannisters' money since the two companies united. Business is business."

"That's right Uncle D, but I guess they should at least pretend or something… People already talk."

"Words are just words, Margaery. Until everything is up and running, the business won't get hurt."

"If you say so… By the way - Margaery changed the subject -, what do you think about Thirrin's boyfriend?"

"Much better than the last one. But seriously, he seems a really good lad. Being totally independent in such a young age isn't easy."

"Yeah, Uncle D is right. Plus, it's written on his face he's totally in love with Thirrin, and that's what really matters" - Willas said.

"Exactly. Thirrin is shining, she's happy again, like she used to be… Before. If he could change her, I give my full blessing."

"I'm glad for them too - she agreed. - When she first told me about him, I knew right away they would get together, like a couple. She protested, of course, but I won in the end. Gosh, they're so good together, I'm a bit jealous!"

"You might want to lower your expectations in the new year, what do you think, sis?" - Garlan smirked.

"Go to hell, Garlan Tyrell. I WON'T lower my expectations."

"Then I'll go and get you a bunch of cats. Try to loosen up a little bit, like Thirrin!"

"But not that much, you don't necessarily have to fly to Braavos for two weeks without any warning" - Uncle Darvon added.

"Seriously, Margaery. You might want to ask Theon to introduce you to some people from his faculty - Willas suggested. - Mechanical engineering students are usually male and I'm sure he knows someone who meets to your requirements."

"Do I look like I haven't tracked it down yet? I found literally NO ONE. Well, there's one guy, but… - she couldn't finish because she saw she'd got a message. - Sorry, I'll continue after answering this."

 _YW: Hey, can I bother you for a second? I found something in Paris that might be interesting for you._

 _MT: Of course, what's up?_

 _YW: So we've been to Paris for some days now and I keep seeing people carrying these bags that I haven't seen before. Once I could do a close shot, the sigil is a three-headed dragon. I guess it's a new brand, it seems worth to invest in. What do you think?_

Margaery looked at the pictures Ygritte had sent her. Three bags and a close shot of the sigil, which worked as pull tap of the zipper. Two handbags and a crossbody bag, which could be worn day and night. She knew somewhere she'd already saw these bags, yet they seemed different in the design. As she was observing them, the recognition hit her hard. Universal crossbody bag… Three-headed dragon…

 _MT: OH MY GOODNESS YGRITTE, YOU MIGHT HAVE JUST WON THE LOTTERY FOR US! If it's true what I'm thinking we can make the business of the year! Can I contact you in the upcoming days? Just for letting you know the details if we can work out something. Again, THANK YOU SO MUCH!_

 _YW: Ohh, sure… Just text me if there's something important._

"Sorry, I have to go!" - Margaery stood up, trying to look as calm as possible, yet she was jumping in joy inside. She ran upstairs, turned left, ran through the hallway to Thirrin's room, and without any warning, she opened the door.

Thirrin and Theon were still sleeping in each others' arms and looked too peaceful to wake them up but Margaery didn't care.

"Thirrin, Thirrin, wake up! - she was shaking her cousin's shoulder. - You won't believe what I'll show you!"

"What the fuck, Margaery? It's like 4 AM or something… - she opened her eyes a little bit. - Let me sleep more…"

"No, you have to see this RIGHT NOW!"

"Please shut her down, love…" - Theon muttered, pulling Thirrin closer.

"It's important! For our career!" - she insisted.

"Okay, fine… I love you this much, Margaery…" - Thirrin got out of the bed with messy hair, wrinkled sleeping shirt and grumpy face.

They went to her bathroom. Once closed the door, Thirrin asked:

"What's that urgent that you have to drag me out of bed?"

"THESE - she gave to Thirrin her phone with the pictures. - Do you recognize these bags?

It was pure delight seeing Thirrin's face while she was looking at the photos. First she seemed simply annoyed. Then her expression changed: her blue eyes widened, she opened her mouth, trying not to scream, looked into Margaery's eyes, then back to the screen.

"It cannot be possible - she whispered. - The Targaryens are gone, all of them were killed."

"Looks like at least one of them could escape. We need to talk to Grandma immediately!"

"That would be perfect, but we're scheduled only for tomorrow… "

"Trust me, I can manage to give us half an hour - Margaery said determined. - No matter what it takes. If we could help resurrecting the Targaryen House, we would have incredible success. She'll understand."

"Okay, I'm cheering for you - Thirrin nodded. - We should get Ygritte something for this tip. Can I go back to sleep now?"

Later that day both of them were waiting in front of their grandmother's study nervously. It was known the real head of the Tyrell family and the Golden Rose Inc. was Olenna Tyrell. She used to be the most successful model in the '60s, she worked with every prestigious brand in Europe. When she widowed, she took over the leadership of the company and made the world understand that she's just as capable to run a business as walk down the catwalk. Every family member turned to her if they had questions about serious decisions, like investments, for example.

They looked into each other's eyes before they entered the room. Thirrin showed her confident and cold business-face, while Margaery was smiling gently, yet her brown eyes reflected pure ambition. After the morning interaction she was able to make an appointment to their grandmother and the two girls spent the rest of the day researching for some more information about the restarted brand. Finally Thirrin could find the Targaryen girl by looking through every account who'd liked her pictures on Instagram recently. Both of them were holding their phone as evidence.

"You may come, my ladies" - the maid said and left the room.

Margaery went first, Thirrin followed her.

"Good afternoon, Grandma" - they greeted her simultaneously.

She was sitting behind her vintage desk, wearing daytime Chanel tailored blazer and sheer blouse. The whole room smelled like a sweet, thick, flowery perfume.

"Darlings, there's no need for formalities. Sit down and tell me what you have."

"We've already told you about our business plan and it looks like we've found a brand. However, it isn't how we imagined, because this brand isn't a startup, but a revived old one" - Thirrin started.

"Curious. Could you explain, please?"

"Sure - Margaery continued. - A friend of mine sent me these pictures, she took them in Paris in the last few days. I recognized the three-headed dragon" - she opened the photos.

Olenna reached for Margaery's phone and looked at the pictures closer.

" _Lyanna, Rhaella,_ _Meraxes_ \- she whispered. - The last big success, one of the first designs and a simple, beloved one. Clever, very clever. Renewed, redesigned, but still recognisable. The quality is almost written on them, they're like the old masterpieces. They're Targaryen-bags, no doubt. Do you know who's behind the brand?"

"A young girl, she isn't older than us. Her name is Daenerys Targaryen."

"Then the rumours are true… I'm wondering if the others are true too… - she said, staring out of the window. - So your plan is contacting this girl and helping her" - she turned back to them.

The girls nodded silently.

"Well then. It will be easy and hard at the same time. Easy, because the Tyrells used to have money in the Targaryens' business. The traditions are important for this girl, I don't think she would refuse you. However, you have to learn one or two things about how and why the brand was destroyed. Thirrin, you must already know about some facts."

"Yes, I actually do - Thirrin nodded. - We've talked about it at school. As far as I know, the Targaryens had serious debts which they couldn't pay back to the Lannisters and had some confilct with the Baratheons too. The two companies united and took everything the Targaryens had. They closed down and the whole family disappeared."

"That's the official version, only the insiders know the truth. Everything started with a love affair in the '90s. The creative director was Rhaegar Targaryen, the owner's son. Excellent taste, beautiful creations, the world of fashion would celebrate him like a prince. His private life seemed perfect too, married to Elia Martell with kids. But he made a mistake: he chose Lyanna Stark as his muse. Lyanna Stark was totally different than every other model back then. She didn't have the still fashionable Eastern European face, however, she was a bold, exceptional beauty. She became the symbol of England at a very young age. They say Rhaegar fell in love with her when he first saw her polaroids. First he made a contract with her to work just for the Targaryens. Then he designed the original version of this bag and named after the girl. Soon they started an affair. Rhaegar was planning to divorce, they even confessed their relationship in public, but the timing couldn't be worse. The Lannister-Baratheon Cooperation was born, the family brand fell down and every Targaryen was killed, covering their deaths as accidents. Lyanna Stark was in Scotland when she heard about Rhaegar's death. She committed suicide."

The girls exchanged a quick look with wide eyes.

"Oh God… - Margaery whispered. - It's horrible."

"How could Daenerys survive?" - Thirrin asked.

"They couldn't find Aerys Targaryen's wife and two youngest children. Rhaella Targaryen could escape to the States in time. There was a boy about 5 or 6 and a baby girl. It was unknown what happened to them after, looks like the girl is the very last Targaryen who's trying to bring back her family's glory."

For some minutes they didn't say anything. Margaery was storing the informations and trying to figure out possible solutions. She had to realize that one thing is investing into a startup business and helping an unknown designer and another, completely different one is resurrect one of the most prestigious old brand of the UK.

Seemed like Thirrin had been thinking about the same thing, because she pointed out after some time:

"Grandma, I don't think out capital would be enough for this project. We have to get more, that's sure."

"Well, good luck for that! - Olenna said. - Though I don't think it would be that hard… There are other influental people out there who loved the Targaryens and who crave revenge. Come on girls, you're two of the few people in this family who have an actual brain!" - she elevated her tone after seeing their uncomprehending faces.

"I know! - Margaery exclaimed. - The Martells, am I right? Elia Martell was Rhaegar Targaryen's wife, and she was killed too, plus I can imagine that the Martells'd had serious money in the brand too…"

"It won't be easy - Thirrin said with her blue eyes narrowed. - Doran Martell doesn't invest into anything, unless he knows for sure it's 100% worth it."

"Both of you are right - Olenna nodded - , however, dear Thirrin, you're forgetting about the other Martell brother, who LOVES investing into interesting and special projects…"

"Oberyn Martell! - Thirrin cut in. - Of course, he'd even have the time to help us!"

"Okay, I think as a start it's more than enough - Margaery summed up. - After Christmas I'll contact Daenerys, I'll introduce ourselves and fix an appointment with her. She's already in the UK now. Thirrin, you're doing the same with Oberyn Martell."

"Sure - she nodded. - You're better at handling women and I'm better at handling men, so that's perfect. I'll charm out of him a nice check, I promise."

"Congratulations, girls - their grandmother smiled at them. - I think you've found the subject of your first investment. During tomorrow's tea we'll work out the plan in details."

 **A/N: Two update in one week, whaaaat?! I wanted to post the Christmas chapters on Christmas week, that's why I posted this chapter earlier. Review &follow if you liked it! :)**


	23. Chapter 23

Soft music played by a record player, smell of cinnamon, orange, roasted meat and ginger in the air. Candles over the fireplace. Enormous Christmas tree in the corner of the livingroom, decorated with silver, red and blue ornaments, white lights and pretty bows. Under the tree lots of neatly wrapped presents. The definition of a country-upperclass Christmas. He usually liked it, but this year was different. Everyone, who made last Christmas one of the most memorable one he could remember, were having the time of their lives in London and in Paris. He missed his brother and his best friend, because he had a feeling something would happen that night, something that would require unconditional understanding.

Even though everything seemed perfectly usual during the day, he couldn't let alone the stormy thoughts.

Christmas was like a choreography for them, a nice routine they followed year by year. Waiting for everyone in the livingroom, if you're old enough, you get a glass of champagne too, then delicious homemade Christmas dinner, all traditional. Some rest together, tea and dessert, then getting ready for the midnight service. Church, getting home a bit late, the next morning breakfast in the livingroom while unwrapping presents. It was taken like a script and no one was allowed to mess it up. Of course, there were some little accidents every year, like broken ornaments, slightly burned puddings or unexpected guests, but the motto was "We don't live in a magazine, after all", so at the end of the day, Christmas has always been a nice, heartwarming family holiday. Robb didn't want to ruin the tendency, and at first it seemed this Christmas would be just as ordinary as every other one in the previous years, even though he and his mother were keeping a light distance since the engagement.

Even the little fight before dinner between Arya and Catelyn could be considered as something completely okay as they had little fights literally every day: Arya - as always - simply ignored the "Dress up nicely" -order and came down to the dinner wearing burgundy skinny jeans with a navy blue and white winter-themed sweater, and their mother - as always - wanted her to go back upstairs and change or "At least put on a blouse!".

By the way Arya neither was into Christmas mood, so Robb was glad that he could share his feelings with someone - though they've never been that close, he felt like he needed the secret alliance.

To Robb this Christmas was a checklist: every event worked as items that needed to be completed. He already could check one point, the usual family gathering in the livingroom. They already were having dinner, eating turkey with mashed potatoes, when his father dropped in a question, that at first sight seemed innocent and ordinary:

"Robb, I haven't asked you yet, why couldn't Theon go this year too? Did he finally made peace with his father and returned to Northern Ireland for the holidays?"

"No, actually, he's staying with his girlfriend's family now."

"Oh, he's got a girlfriend! What good news! Do you know the girl?"

"Khm… Yes - he swallowed. - She's my classmate at school. Her name is Thirrin Woodley, she's a very… Special girl."

It was impossible not to notice the meaningful, surprised look his parents exchanged.

"It may seem irrelevant, but is… Or was her mother a Tyrell?" - his mother asked.

"Yes, I think so, why do you ask, Mom?"

"Could you please show me this girl?"

"Sure…"

Although he didn't know why his mother would be interested in Thirrin, he looked for a picture of her online and handed his phone to her.

"Oh my God… Alysone… - she whispered as she saw Thirrin's photo. - She's Aly's daughter… She has red hair and blue eyes, but there's so much of Aly in her, look!"

"You're right… Just as beautiful as Alysone - Ned said with bittersweet smile. - I couldn't mix them up, though, Alysone had this warm radiance around her, while she seems so… Cold. But she can't deny she's Alysone's daughter."

"Wait… Do you know her mother?" - Robb raised his eyebrows.

"We did - he nodded. - Looks like it's a funny coincidence: when I studied at the Royas Business, Alysone was at the same group as me. She was beautiful, nice and extremely clever, very inspiring. Everyone loved her, it was impossible not to love Alysone Tyrell. She had a great future ahead of her. Unfortunately, she died at a young age, about ten years ago."

"Oh… I didn't know that." - Robb got a bit shocked. Even though Thirrin could be easily liked, she often seemed a spoiled uptown chick with perfect life. Probably no one knew she was carrying huge secrets like this.

"I suppose you don't tell everyone at school that your Mom died when you were like ten" - Bran pointed out wisely.

"Poor girl… - Catelyn sighed. - I hope Theon treats her well. How long have they been together?"

"I don't know exactly… For a while now, I guess" - he decided his family didn't need to know that Thirrin and Theon started as friends with very loud benefits.

"How is this girl? I mean, if she's your classmate, you must know her a bit. Is she as smart as her mother was?"

"Oh yes Dad, Thirrin is the best student, I guess. She's creative and always has very unique ideas. She's born to this field, no doubt."

"Beautiful, clever, probably popular AND half-Tyrell… - Sansa said. -Theon doesn't even deserve her!"

"No, I think he does. I'm happy for him."

He wanted to close this conversation. Talking about Thirrin Woodley even on Christmas Eve, really? _Why is this girl all over my life?!_ And apparently she had an alterego. He tried to imagine a _warmer_ Thirrin, who probably had brown eyes instead of ice-blue, maybe light brown or golden blonde hair, and warm smile. He was wondering if his father used to have a light crush on Alysone Tyrell, just like he used to have a crush on Thirrin Woodley. He figured that even if he did, he supressed it successfully. _But I'm sure he clearly didn't try to hit on her after too many goddamned shots of Absolut._

"Robb, in January you should take them to Winterfell! We haven't seen Theon for such a long time and I'd like to meet Thirrin! What do you think?"

 _Mom, you've been having such awesome ideas lately..._

"If you want, I'll talk to him and we shall see" - he nodded.

Looked like it was enough about Theon and his girlfriend, so he sighed in relief, mostly because during this whole interaction Jeyne was looking at him with growing anger in her normally kind hazel eyes.

When they finished dinner, she asked him:

"Can I talk to you for a second? In private, possibly."

"Okay, but…"

"Just a minute" - she squeezed his hand.

"Fine, let's go upstairs to my room" - he didn't have a clue what could be this urgent and secret.

He didn't even have the time to close the door, she asked immediately:

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"Tell you what?" - he looked at her confused.

"That you wanted to get together with that rich red slut! And you know what? I think you're still into her! Why, Robb, why?"

"Who the hell are you… Oh fuck. I've already told you there wasn't ANYTHING between Thirrin and me in the past!"

"There wasn't, but you wanted to! I'm not completely fool, Robb. Sansa told me once that last year you were into one of your classmates a lot, but things didn't work out for you. She didn't know her name, only some details about her and I put together the pieces."

"That was a stupid, useless crush, nothing more! - he couldn't believe they are fighting over this again. - Seriously, I don't think it must be considered _something_."

"It IS something! And look at you, Robb! Since she and your stupid roommate started sleeping together, you're different! You seem distracted, angry, jealous..."

"At first it was a bit confusing, I admit, but get over it! I already did."

"Really? I don't think so. You talk about her like she would be a freaking untouchable Goddess! One doesn't talk like this about someone whom doesn't care about!"

"My best friend is madly in love with her, for God's sake! Do you think I would be the kind of person who steals their best friend's girlfriend?!"

"I'm not sure about anything if it comes to you anymore."

 _Who are you and what have you done to Jeyne Westerling?_ Everyone around him went crazy? First his mother, then Jeyne…

"Jeyne, have you lost your mind?! Should I tell you about EVERY SINGLE girl I've liked in my life, since elementary school?!"

"No, but you should get her out of your life!"

"Really, and how do you imagine it? Have you missed the part when I mentioned that she's my CLASSMATE?!"

"You can't do anything about that, but you can look for another roommate, for example…"

"Kicking out Theon because he's dating Thirrin?! Look, I know Christmas and exams come with a lot of stress, but this is insane, you can't be serious…"

"He has a bad influence on you anyway! What do you expect from someone who lays around, goes to parties instead of school and has an unrecognizable accent?! I bet he's with her because she has money!"

"No, no, no, no, noooo, I see where this is going! You won't make me choose over you and my best friend!"

"A careless, reckless idiot is more important to you than I am?!"

"Honestly, yes!" - he finally let it out. He couldn't control his emotions anymore, he was too angry for that.

"Oh really? Fine, I'm leaving. I think you need some space."

"You're free to go, I wanted to break up with you anyway!" - he yelled.

She bursted out laughing hysterically.

"I haven't expected this from you, Robb Stark - she said then disparaging. - I thought you were different, but turned out you're the same as the others. Don't worry. I know where the back door is."

She quickly picked up her stuff whole he was just standing there, trying to process the events. When she finished, he followed her down the stairs, through the hallway to the door.

She looked back from the doorstep:

"By the way, I liked being with you. Goodbye, Robb" - with that, she took a taxi and disappeared in the snowy night.

He watched her leaving. So that's it. He got what he wanted, but how? He felt his heart breaking into pieces. Not because he still loved her, but because he didn't want it to end like this. He lost control and now he didn't know what to do. He's never been broken up with, and it felt awful and devastating. He didn't blame anyone, not even Thirrin Woodley. He wanted this relationship to be a nice memory to look back at, a cute little story. Yet he will remember it as worst Christmas ever.

First he wanted to call Theon and tell him everything: he was really good at cheering people up. Then he remembered that his best friend was probably having fun with the Tyrells and didn't want to hear about screwed up Christmases. He felt lonely and isolated.

He wanted to go back upstairs to his room, lock the door and be alone, but when he turned around he saw his entire family standing at the bottom of the stairs, looking at him with comprehension and love in their eyes.

"You heard everything" - he sighed.

"Sorry Robb - Arya nodded. - You didn't close the door."

He couldn't say a word. His life was falling apart in front of the people he cared about the most, the people who wanted him to be brave, strong, clever, successful, perfect. The deep silence felt incredibly loud. He couldn't move, he couldn't think. He felt like he disappointed them. He wasn't the best student at university, his relationship that everyone believed to be a lifelong one ended on Christmas Eve.

He found himself in the arms of his mother. She couldn't hold him that much as he was taller than her, but she still could embrace him tight enough. Her signature scent - jasmine and vanille - was all over around him in the air.

"I'm sorry Mom - he whispered. - I'm so fucked up."

"You don't need to apologize, I do - she sighed. - I hope you'll accept it. And Robb… No matter what you think you will be fixed sooner or later."

 **A/N: Merry Christmas and happy holidays to all of you! Have fun, eat yummy food and spend lots of time with people you love! I hope you liked this chapter, if you did, please review and follow! Oh, I've made a tumblr recently (I didn't have one before, I know, such a shame :D), I have the same username as here so you can follow me there too if you want to!**


	24. Chapter 24

Thirrin was laying over the window, with a glass of whisky in one hand and a burning cigarette in another, wearing black lace lingerie. Her hair and makeup was already done, her outfit was layed out on the bed: dark blue silk maxidress with deep V-cut, rose gold pumps and Swarovski statement earrings. Soon they had to be downstairs for the photoshoot so she allowed herself a little break before the start of the Christmas craziness.

At least she wasn't anxious anymore. She was a little bit afraid before the holidays: what if her family doesn't like Theon? But there was no need to worries, she realized that right at the first family gathering. He's been simply _perfect_ , acting like a trueborn member of the upperclass, all polite and proper, even Thirrin got surprised. He got through the fancy dinner like a pro, even knowing exactly which silverwear and glass to use.

 _Of course, he used to work on a luxury ship, he had to know such things._

Moreover, he was answering patiently all the boring questions her family asked, for example how university was going, how he was imagining his future, which team he was supporting and what was his opinion on the current situation of the European Union.

But the best thing that happened was the fact that her father and Theon got along right away. He was asking him about his experiences in the States and Theon gladly shared them with him over some glasses of wine. She knew the real challenge was her grandmother but she was sure Theon could pass that one too.

Everyone was getting ready for the evening. She could hear Margaery singing along with Ariana Grande in the room next to hers (" _Santa tell me if you're really there don't make me fall in love again if he won't be here next year… ")_ , her sweet voice mixed with the sound of the shower and an Irish song that Theon was singing in her bathroom.

Meanwhile Margaery moved on to Taylor Swift (" _He's so tall, and handsome as hell, he's so bad but he does it so well…")_ , Thirrin finished her smoke and began to get dressed.

She was spreading on some perfume when Theon came out of the bathroom, all fresh and handsome, shaved and somehow polished hair, smelling like sandalwood and ocean breeze, wearing steel grey slim fit trousers, holding two shirts in his arm.

"Hey sailor! - Thirrin looked up winking. - Are you going to have dinner like this?"

"Of course not, I just can't choose. White or black?"

"Black, no question asked. White is better for the theatre, plus the black brings out the color of your eyes. Throw on the oxblood bowtie too and you'll be perfect."

"Okay, thanks. You look beautiful tonight - he hugged her from behind when she turned around and softly kissed her neck. - What if we were a bit late...?"

"Not now, babe, we already should be downstairs - she gently pushed him away. - But once we got home I promise you'll get an early Christmas present!"

"Deal, Snowflake! Though I wouldn't have ruined your hair, but..."

"Hurry up, Greyjoy, they're waiting for us!"

As Thirrin predicted the family photoshoot had already begun in the big dining hall, where the enormous Christmas tree was standing. The theme of the year was "metallics" which meant shiny and matte golden, old gold, rose gold and copper ornamets. Under the tree there already were lots of nicely wrapped presents, all matte gold with emerald bow.

After making through the crowd with several smalltalks and a glass of champagne the set of the Tyrell brothers were done and Aunt Alerie noticed them:

"Thirrin, sweetheart, you're here, finally! - she exclaimed. - Do you want to go next?"

"For me it's okay…" - Thirrin nodded.

"Yeah, let's get through on it" - Theon agreed.

"Perfect! Both of you look so nice, did you dress to match?" - she asked while leading them to the shooting spot.

The white studio lights were too bright so at first she couldn't even see where the camera was placed. Therw was no time to ask questions: Aunt Alerie started commanding like a professional photographer:

"Stand relatively to the centre, it doesn't have to be symmetric, just a little bit… Perfect! Let's begin with a simple one, arms on her waist, turn a bit to each other and big smile! Thirrin, darling, please smile you too, you're celebrating Christmas with your handsome boyfriend, not planning on conquering the Roman Empire!"

Thirrin rolled her eyes but smiled anyway.

One pose followed another. Serious face, standing behind each other like one of them would run for president. Looking at each other with happy smile. A rather spontaneous, they were laughing hard on something. Him kissing the top of her head. Her kissing his cheek, standing on her tiptoes. Thirrin got easily bored as it was her 20th Tyrell Christmas and she had to go through on this every year but Theon seemed to enjoy the centre of attention he got.

She didn't even remember when they started taking pictures, but meanwhile everyone arrived to the dining hall and all were watching them like it would be a show.

"You're looking so perfect together, even a bit lookalike! - Aunt Alerie said after like the 100th different angle. - Like your cheekbones for example, all sharp and defined!"

"Of course, cheekbones for days… - Thirrin murmured. - Are we finished?"

"Not yet! Those mistletoes are hanged for a reason!"

Everyone who was present looked up to the ceiling where several richly decorated mistletoes were placed. Thirrin felt her stomach sinking and her cheeks turning as red as her hair.

 _No fucking way_ \- she thought. To be honest, her family got a little bit carried away with her having a decent boyfriend. Luckily no one made comments on possible future plans like getting married and having three sassy kids with red hair and blue/green eyes, but they surely were treated like a newly engaged royal couple. In the cheesy, romantic, overexcited Tyrell-way. The last thing she wanted was a photo taken of the two of them kissing under the bloody mistletoe like the stars of the recent Christmas film and this specific photo made the cover of the annual Christmas Scrapbook.

 _I'm too sober for this shit. Someone give me some shots of… Anything._

"Aunt Alerie, I don't think it would be… " - she tried to protest but had little success.

"Of course Mrs Tyrell! - Theon interrupted her cheerfully. - Come on Snowflake, give me a kiss!"

"My family planted a rose garden in the place of your mind, Greyjoy" - she whispered, half-laughing half-teasing, wrapped her arms around his neck and he kissed her on the lips gently. She closed her eyes, felt his warm hands around her waist pulling her closer, his soft lips playing with hers, their tongues fighting for dominance and for a moment a small thought crossed her mind: maybe the mistletoe thing isn't that stupid tradition.

Later, maybe because of the nice amount of champagne she'd been consuming, maybe because of the atmosphere in general, Thirrin felt like it's been her best Christmas Eve ever. She couldn't name one specific moment as the very best, there were lots of them: when she went outside with her father for a smoke and he admitted how happy he was for her and that he hoped they'd stay together for long; when Theon excitedly told her that "your Grandma is the coolest person on Earth" after spending with her almost half an hour exchanging experiences of New Orleans and the Southern states in general (because of a photoshoot she's spent there some time in her model era) while drinking whisky; when they were driving through the city that shined with beautiful Christmas lights and was covered with light layer of white snow; when the chorus started singing at church and she felt the pure joy filling the world; or when they got home at 1.30 AM and she could finally remove her makeup, kick down her heels and change into the large black tshirt that she'd stolen from Theon.

He was staring out of the window when she finished getting ready for sleep. The full moon enlightened his serious face, making his hair look platinum blonde and his eyes brighter green. She walked to him and put her arm around his waist. He quickly smiled to her and pulled her closer by the shoulders. She rested her head on his chest, inhaling his scent: ocean breeze, smoke, salt, sandalwood and clear soap, while he was caressing her tangled red waves.

"You know, you're so lucky. All of you" - Theon broke the silence suddenly.

"What do you mean?" - Thirrin looked up.

"That you have an actual family, that you're loved no matter what. If you want to ground your own company at 20, you can. If you're a guy and you love another guy, you aren't judged. It must be so nice. A real family. I've never had it - his eyes fell. He released her and took some steps in the direction of the bed, but suddenly turned back. - Hey, I've never actually told you how I ended up in London."

"Ohh…" - she couldn't say anything, just nodded. They sat down to the bed, he took her hand and started talking, but so emotionlessly she'd never heard before:

"You know, my family used to design ships in the past, like a hundred years ago. Real ships, which crossed the ocean. We were a Belfast-based company, quite successful actually, but my great-great -someone screwed up the whole thing, so we ended up with nothing. Long story short, now my family has a less significant business, which is connected to fishing. Why am I telling this, doesn't even make sense… - he shook his head. - So the thing is that it sucks, even though my father doesn't believe it. He thinks the Englishmen took the old business from us. He's too Irish in this sense. That's why he's always hated me. At school I had some English friends, so I was treated like a little shit at home. He always let my brothers beat me because I didn't hate everyone who isn't Irish. Only my mother would defend me, but since she's bipolar my father could control her easily. She's been living in a sanatary since I was sixteen. She was the only person who loved me at home."

"Do you… do you have siblings?" - she interrupted him surprised. He'd never mentioned any sibling before, not that he would talk about his family a lot anyway.

"Only a sister. My brothers died when I was ten. It was winter, the nights were dark, the ocean was stormy. They were off to sea, but never returned alive. The biggest storm of the decade found them on board and they died. Their bodies were found after three days. I don't remember only some details: my father blaming God and everyone in Earth, my mother breaking down, my sister silently crying and myself, worried and afraid. Since then my father hated me even more. He used to tell me that my brothers were his true sons and I should be happy to let me live with him under the same roof. As a kid, I couldn't do anything. As a teenager, I fought back. That was the time when I started going out and stuff, spending the night at friends' house so I didn't have to go home. I went to school in Belfast and I was a pretty good student, actually, but my father would never let me go to university, even if I wanted to. In the summer after 11th grade, when my sister wasn't at home - she could moderate him a little bit, even though she despised me the same - we had a huge fight and my father told me I should've drowned into the sea instead of my brothers. I didn't say anything, only knew that man might be my biological father, but not my real one. I decided to leave, it was my only chance."

She felt her eyes filling with tears. She always knew _something_ must have happened to him in the past, she could relate to him, but it was still awful hearing it out loud. Turned out almost all of his life he spent being despised, being unwanted, being an outcast. Theon, who always had a smile on his lips, lively glow in his eyes and mixture of confidence and arrogance in his heart, had to take this much bitterness since he was little…

"While still in 12th grade I applied for a job to an American cruise ship company - he continued. - I organized everything, the visa, the papers, all that stuff. I had some part-time jobs besides school, so I even had some savings. Right after my graduation ceremony, with my high school diploma in my suitcase I got on a train to Dublin, from Dublin I flew to New York, from New York I flew to Miami. I'll never forget the name of the first ship I worked on: Queen of Mermaids. It sounds super cheesy, but literally saved my life. I spent almost two years in the States and hardly thought of my so-called family. After three month I guess my sister found me and called me: she said I had to go back but I just laughed and said never. I loved working on ships. I can get along with new people and I got to see amazing and beautiful places. We would drink the leftover champagne in the kitchen after shift, we smoked weed in Jamaica, we went out in New Orleans, we got tattooed in Miami, I got driving licence and we made a Southern roadtrip. But I was paying attention on never getting attached to anyone, I was too disappointed. Meanwhile I applied to college here in London and I've got accepted. I left the USA to study finally. Robb's place was the first one I found and rented instantly. We got along well since the first moment, as always, and exactly last Christmas I realized that damn, I fucking care about this person, he's my best friend, the perfectly average sibling I've never had. His family likes me too, which is cool, but I've always envied him because of them. Then you came. All black, sharp bones, full lips that are made to be kissed forever, interesting soul. It was obvious we can't just fuck, because you're too interesting. That's why I agreed to the friends with benefits thing. But when we started open up to each other, I got scared. I realized you're just as fucked up as I am and I didn't have a clue how I could handle this. I couldn't have left you though, never. So I thought I should give it a try. But I still think you're still luckier than me. When you broke into pieces, you had your family to heal you. You had your Dad, your Grandma, your cousins, all of them. As for me, though, I was in the edge of breaking _because of_ my family. I've never been truly cared about, I've never been loved…" - he couldn't finish, just hugged her tightly and buried his face in her neck.

"But… I love you" - Thirrin bursted out, not even considering what she was saying. Her mind stopped functioning, her broken soul replaced it. The broken soul that was fully repaired by another crushed soul.

At first he couldn't say a word, just looked into her eyes, holding her face between his hands. He had tears in his eyes too, through its filter the green seemed more blue, looking like the depth of the ocean.

"Oh… I… I love you too" - he whispered.

He embraced her, held her against his chest while pressing his lips onto her forehead. She wrapped her arms around him, tracing patterns on his back. Soon he lifted up her head gently and kissed her hungrily, first on the lips, then he deepened the kiss. Their lips and their tongues were moving in perfect sync, exchanging dominance. He pulled her to his lap, ran his fingers through her hair and back all the way to her hips and thighs, softly caressing her marble-like skin. He moved down his lips to her neck and kissed the tender spot slowly.

She moaned, arched her back in his arms, felt the familiar warm sensation floating her body, yet the emotion overdose of the day was too much for her to hold on: tears were running down her cheeks.

"Are you okay?" - he looked up worried.

"Yes, I'm just… - she sobbed. - Nothing, just…"

He understood it right away.

"Don't cry for me… - Theon whispered holding her close.- I've got my shit together… Don't feel sorry for me…"

"But everything what happened to you… So sad, so terrible… You deserve so much better… "

"What else? - he smiled wiping off her tears with his thumbs. - I have you, Thirrin. I don't need anything, love."

"You're the best thing that happened to me this year, Theon Greyjoy" - she said and kissed him again.

 **A/N: I hope you liked it, because I loved writing this chapter! Also, I hope you had amazing holidays!**


	25. Chapter 25

**A/N: First off, happy new year everyone! It's the longest chapter so far, and I might have gotten a little carried away in the end but I hope you'll like it anyway!**

When Thirrin Woodley appeared in his life, he never thought their _thing_ would go this far: the casual come-over-have-sex-and-watch-something undefined relationship turned into smoking in the balcony of the Royal Opera House, drinking champagne from crystal glass in the interval of the Christmas ballet, and most importantly, into love.

Theon could definitely say it was his best Christmas ever. The Tyrells had been amazing people, in fact, in his eyes Thirrin's family seemed more American than British, with their open and free manners and always-smiling faces. Everything went smoothly and he had to realize that upperclass life is actually kind of bearable once got used to the dresscodes and rules.

Cliché or not, he considered Thirrin the best Christmas present he'd ever got. On Christmas Eve all the walls they'd built up fell, leaving their souls undefended, but there was no need for walls anymore. As he was watching her falling asleep in his arms, her hair smelling like peppermint candy and smoke, her skin as soft as silk, her breath calm and quiet, he was simply and genuinely happy, like never before.

As they'd been together officially only for some weeks, he didn't expect any presents, even though he got her a nice silver bracelet and a beautiful set of lingerie. But he was wrong…

" _And… This is for you - Thirrin finished giving her presents, handing him a steel blue envelope. - Go ahead, open it, I want to see you reaction!" - she winked excitedly._

 _He ripped the paper carefully. There were two pieces of paper inside and a minimalist, but nice Christmas card. First he read that: "I've realized recently we've never gone to parties together yet, but now I make sure we can recover everything and beyond. Merry Christmas! Your Snowflake"_

 _He smiled and took out the other papers. He had to read them twice to make sure he wasn't dreaming: he got two 5-days passes for the Glastonbury Festival. He couldn't say a word, just stared at the tickets and Thirrin with wide eyes and dropped jaw._

" _There's no announced line-up yet, but Glastonbury always seems lots of fun and I've never had anyone to go with before, so I thought…" - she started but he cut in:_

" _How could you get these? I heard all the tickets were sold out in 20 minutes!"_

" _Online shopping is something I'm really good at. Do you like it?" - she asked._

" _Like it? LOVE IT. Also, I love you."_

After spending the day chilling and planning the summer trip, late afternoon all got read and left to the theatre. With Thirrin even the ballet seemed a bit interesting, but he was glad the upcoming act was the last one.

They were standing alone in a small balcony, smoking, leaning over the railing. She looked very hot, as always, wearing a long grey velvet dress with long sleeves, closed front and wide open back. Her dark red waves were pinned to the side, so literally nothing covered her beautiful, flawless neck and back.

"Can I ask you something?" - Theon broke the silence suddenly.

"Go ahead" - she nodded.

He leant closer to her:

"Are you wearing _anything_ under your dress?"

"Nothing at all" - she whispered back.

He bit his bottom lip.

"You're a terrible creature, Thirrin Woodley."

"If you see the same play for the millionth time, you must try to spice things up."

"Well, I think we have 15 more minutes… " - with that, he kissed her deeply, pulling her closer, caressing her back. Her skin was even colder than usual. While still kissing, holding her with his left hand, his right hand carefully slid under her dress. Barely touching her flat stomach he found her small boobs that fit into his hands perfectly. He cupped the right one, and still very careful, his thumb started playing with her erected nipple in circular motion.

She moaned into his mouth, gently pinched his bottom lip with her teeth, her breath became faster and heavier.

He was about to reach under her dress with his other hand too, but his phone started vibrating in his pocket. He broke the kiss and looked at the screen surprised: it was Robb.

"Just a minute" - he promised. She nodded and he answered the call:

"Hey, Stark, what's up? I have to tell you first that I'm in the delightful state of healthy booze since like December twenty-something. I've been swimming in champagne, mate!"

"Theon, I…" - Robb tried to speak.

"Seriously though - he continued - , Thirrin was right when she said we would drink all the time. Maybe that's the reason why the Tyrells are into me. Have I mentioned that we're going to Glastonbury in the summer? Got it, GLASTONBURY! It's like heaven, I have the best girlfriend ever…"

"Greyjoy, could you please shut up for a second?" - he cut in.

"Ohh sure… What's the matter?"

"We broke up" - Robb said shortly and bitterly.

"What?! Now?! - he asked confused. - Today's Christmas Day and you were planning on breaking up with her AFTER Christmas…"

"That's the thing! SHE broke up with ME, on CHRISTMAS EVE!"

"WHAT THE FUCK?! - he exclaimed. - I never thought Jeyne could actually screw up your Christmas, you must have done something really stupid…"

"Thanks for the comforting words, Greyjoy."

"Sorry… How are you?"

"What do you think, honestly? Even though I was planning on breaking up, it simply sucks and I don't know what comes now."

"Well… Breakups are like that, I guess. But what happened exactly?"

"Actually… That's why I called you. It's not something you can tell by phone. Can we meet later? I'm still at home but I can take a train to London."

"Ohh… Look, I'm at the Royal Opera House now, I don't know if I could..."

"Theon, please, I really need to talk to you, and I need to do it tonight unless I'm going insane."

"Okay, I see what I can do."

"Thank you - he sighed. - In like two hours at the pub of the corner of our street?"

"Good. I'll text you if I can't go. See you later!"

"What happened?" - Thirrin asked after he hung up.

"Robb got dropped last night and he wants to see me."

"On Christmas Eve, seriously? - she raised her eyebrows. - Poor Robb… What kind of bitch does that?"

"That's the problem, I have no idea… - he shook his head. - Jeyne was boring but nice, and as far as I know she loved Robb, so… Babe, would you be mad at me if I met Robb after theatre?"

"No, not at all, he's your best friend, I'd do the same with Margaery… In fact, I'll make up some excuse for you."

"Thank you - he whispered and hugged her. - I don't know how long I'll stay but I promise I'll go back to Highgarden, we have something to finish…"

"True... - she winked. - I'll wait for you!"

* * *

Later, already in a taxi on his way to the Northern Zone he still was thinking about what the hell could have happened between Robb and Jeyne on CHRISTMAS EVE. He knew Robb had already been full of this relationship, but he wouldn't risk a breakup in front of his family, Theon knew that too. He had a feeling there was a long long night ahead of him.

After a solid 30 minutes he arrived, walked into the place and after ordering a pint of beer started searching for Robb. Soon he found him in a booth: he looked exhausted and so sad he'd never seen him before. He had dark circles under his bright blue eyes, like he would have spent the night awake.

"Hey, Robb!" - he greeted him and sat down in front of him

"Hey… Wow… You look fancy!" - Robb looked down on him, from his crispy white shirt through his finest black suit to his polished leather shoes.

"Royal Opera House, remember? - Theon shrugged. - You, however, look like trash. Especially considering that YOU wanted to break up with HER at the first place."

"There's a difference between breaking up and being dropped."

"Though the result is the same. So, what happened? Why did she break up with you?"

"I need something hard for this - he sighed. - Whisky?"

"Any time" - Theon nodded.

After ordering two Scotch on rocks, Rob drank it up like a shot and started:

"Okay, it's fucking stupid, I have to tell you first. Mainly because it happened kind of because of… You."

"WHAT?!" - he exclaimed with his eyes widened. He followed Robb's example, emptied his glass and immediately asked for another round.

"Wait, I'll explain. So while having dinner Dad asked me why you didn't come to us for Christmas this year too. I said you were staying at your girlfriend's family now, and everyone got very excited that you have a girlfriend."

"Right, it isn't a common thing… - he nodded. - Go on!"

"Dad asked if I know your girlfriend, I said you're with Thirrin, like I told her name too, and long story short, turned out that my father and her mother were classmates at university, just like Thirrin and me now."

"You gotta be kidding me or the world is really getting smaller and smaller… Jesus, she won't believe it… I mean, how many people used to study in London in the late '80s - early '90s, like two or three millions, right?"

"I think it's crazy too, but it isn't important now. Anyway, they were asking me about Thirrin, which didn't necessarily have to turn into breakup, but Jeyne had this ridiculous idea that I'm still into her and she basically threw it into my face after dinner."

"Are you serious? - he raised his eyebrows. - Your girl… Sorry, ex-girlfriend is a med student, therefore she has to be some kind of genius. The question is why the hell she thought you're into MY GIRLFRIEND?"

"That's the point, Greyjoy! I have NO IDEA! I told her that I'm obviously not into Thirrin, but she didn't believe it. And listen, the best

part comes now. She said that I should kick you out of the flat because you're with Thirrin who's obviously a slut - which she isn't, of course - you're a careless idiot anyway and you have a bad influence on me. I said she can't make me choose over her and you, she freaked out and said she'd leave, I was like "Fine, I wanted to break up anyway!", she was like "Okay!", and… That's it."

"Sorry, but… Not sorry - Theon said sipping on his whisky. - I guess her exams turned Jeyne crazy. She's never been like this! Seriously Robb, I think it's better for you without her. You needed some freedom anyway."

"I'm trying to convince myself about it but doesn't seem to work."

"Look Stark, I've always told you don't be a pussy. You should've broken up with her before Christmas."

"Don't you think I haven't already figured it out? One more round, please! - Robb waved for a refill. - Plus some days before Christmas I had a fight with Mom, because we heard that Jon proposed to Ygritte and Mom wanted me to marry Jeyne..."

"Do you know what should you do now? - Theon cut in. - Stop being the perfect son of your mother and live a little. The real world sucks, but it also can be fun. Another round. Don't give a fuck, just do what you want. It's been working for me."

"Fuck, Ygritte told me quite the same when I called Jon earlier today but she took over the phone."

"Maybe because it's true - he pointed out. - You're going to get over Jeyne, and you're going to do it now. Wait, I have an idea!"

He reached for his phone and texted a message quickly:

 _TG: Would it bother Margaery if I invited Robb for New Year's? Relieveing after break-up parties always work!_

 _TW: I don't think so, 200 or 201 guests, it's quite the same… Don't forget to tell him it'll be a themed party! Ohh, and either don't give him vodka or you have to hold his head this time._

 _TG: I live with him, Snowflake, I know exactly how he functions. Thanks!_

 _TW: No problem. Is everything alright?_

 _TG: Kind of, I'm trying to do my best!_

 _TW: Cheering for you Greyjoy! ;)_

"Okay Stark, you're spending New Year's with me" - it was a simple statement, not a question nor invitation.

Robb looked at him with wide, kind of filtered eyes:

"I thought you were going to Thirrin's cousin's party…"

"Well hello, that's the point! You're going too! Trust me, it'll be the most epic party in the city! World War II theme, Moet champagne and Thirrin's model cousins, what else do you want?"

 _Agent Tyrell needs her Captain Britannia anyway and vica versa_ \- he added but didn't say out loud.

"Fine… - he agreed. - If you insist… But I guess I need some warmup. I haven't been out for the longest time."

"As you want. We're going out now. I don't accept excuses! What's your poison of tonight, Young Wolf?"

* * *

After several shots of tequila they ended up in the nearest club they found. Robb got even surprised that places like this are open on Christmas Day, but didn't care much about it when a hot blonde girl who was just as wasted as him basically pulled him to the dancefloor and in the next moment they already were making out intensely.

Theon, however, didn't get drunk at all, maybe because he knew one of them had to stay sober enough to go home and obviously it had to be him. He was sitting by the bar, sipping on whisky, looking over Robb who was still with the same girl. Others would try to hit on him too when they noticed he was alone but he refused all of them. Though it felt extremely strange.

Earlier, when he would go out, he would always return home with a girl, always with a sexy and easy one, just like the girls who filled the place that night: short dresses, thigh high boots, swinging hips and scent of cheap, sweet, sugary perfumes. He thought how easy would be to get one of them into his bed: a few touches here and there, his accent modified to appear more American than Irish, and…

He slapped himself mentally.

 _Are you insane Greyjoy?!_ \- he asked himself. - _You have GIRLFRIEND now, mate, who's beautiful, clever, wonderful, everything you've always wanted, who's only yours! She loves you and YOU LOVE HER! You finally have a secure point in your life, you don't want to lose her, right?!_

A message woke up from his daydreams:

 _SS: Theon, is my brother alright? He wouldn't answer our messages, we just want to know if he got safely to London and didn't end up under a train or something._

 _TG: Calm down Sansa, your brother's too busy trying to bang a hot blondie. He's got kinda drunk but he's alright._

 _SS: Great. Mom says tell him to go back home in the morning. Ohh and please cure him from hangover because we have a family gathering to go to!_

His eyes widened looking at the screen. Family gathering?! Mrs Stark would kill him if he sent home his son still wasted. As they mixed up everything he simply knew Robb would have a terrible hangover the next day. He looked around: he found his friend leaning to the bar, still kissing roughly the blonde girl, beside them four empty shot glasses. To make everything more complicated, it was already almost 3 AM.

 _I give you half an hour Stark. Fuck her and let's go home._

 _TG: I'll do what I can but I don't promise anything._

 _SS: Okay. Thank you!_

He put his phone back to his pocket when Robb suddenly appeared:

"Lucy or Lacey or whatever will be back in a second, let's have a drink until then! Two tequilas, please!"

Theon rolled his eyes.

"I'm glad you're having fun!"

"I surely am! - his smile was way too wide and his sound way too excited. - I've never had this much fun in my life! I almost forgot how…" - while talking he looked at the screen of his phone and he saw the messages his family had sent him. His blue eyes narrowed, seemed he wasn't able to read them.

"Lunch… Riverrun… You have to be there… - he muttered. - THEON! I HAVE TO GO HOME! LIKE TO OXFORD HOME!" - he exclaimed.

"I know, Sansa texted me too - he sighed. - Looks like party's over, you'll continue it on New Year's. Can you walk?"

Robb nodded but right in the second he released the bar he almost fell backwards.

"Okay, let me help you… - he put his arm around his shoulders and let him outside.

Small snowflakes were falling from the sky, but it wasn't that cold.

"Listen to me, because I'll tell you only once - he said. - We're going to our place, we're walking because it's like three corners. You're sleeping there. I set your alarm, you HAVE TO get up in time, then you take a taxi or whatever and you're going to your Uncle's place tomorrow on your own. Understand?"

He nodded again, his eyelids slowly closing down.

"Thank you… For this… And you were right, I don't need her in my life… I could get so much better girls… All of you were right, all the time…"

He let him talk while slowly leading the way. He knew exactly how to handle drunk people: be patient and let them talk.

"Arya and Ygritte and Jon and you… - he continued. - So fucking right… Hey, wait a second!" - he suddenly stopped under a streetlamp.

"What is it, Robb?"

"I've never actually told you how fucking glad I am for you. Like really. You fucking deserve Thirrin, even though few people believe it, but you DO deserve her! - he was looking into his eyes seriously. - You needed to be happy, and you're happy now and I'm happy for my best friend's happiness. What, you're not just my best friend. You're my brother. Not by blood, but you get it. My brother, now and always."

"Well… Khm… Thank you"- Theon patted him on the back. Honest drunk Robb was a new side of him, he didn't really know what to say.

When they reached their flat, the large amount of alcohol defeated Robb with a final shot, who literally fell to the couch and fell asleep immediately. Before Theon left, he went to the kitchen, quickly mixed an anti-hangover drink he'd learnt to do back in America and left a note beside it:

 _Don't care how it looks like, DRINK IT UP! It'll help you and you'll be very thankful. Text me when you woke up. T._

With that, he closed the door, flagged down a taxi and drove back to Highgarden.

Exhausted and tired, he got off the car and dialed Thirrin's number. She answered the call relatively quickly:

"What time is it, Greyjoy?" - based on her voice she'd already been sleeping.

"No idea. Would you let me in?"

"Sure, I'll be down in a second."

Soon he could open the gate, walked through the way to the main entrance and entered the house. Thirrin was waiting for him in the hall, already wearing leggings and _his_ tshirt. After guarding his best friend and taking him home he couldn't imagine anything better than spending the night with Thirrin.

"I thought you'd changed your mind and you'd spend the night at your place" - she murmured while hugging him tightly.

"I almost did… At least I literally had to take Robb home" - he said, taking off his coat and following Thirrin upstairs.

"How is he?"

"Totally passed out. We had some drinks, ended up in a club where he hooked up with the first girl who crossed his way, had more drinks and you know how it goes when you're sad and have available shots… So I took him home and left him some hangover emergency stuff."

"That's so nice of you… Did he tell you why they'd broken up with his girlfriend?"

"Yes, it's kind of a long story… - he sighed. - Look, would you mind if I told you all of that only in the morning?"

"No… - she rubbed her eyes. - You must be tired too…"

"A bit… - he admitted. - Snowflake, I'm so glad you're not a drama queen."

"Trying not to become one…"

She untied his bowtie and started unbuttoning his shirt, one by one. Suddenly all the tiredness disappeared: maybe because of the large amount of whisky he'd drunken earlier, maybe because things just become more simple at night, the only thing he wanted was Thirrin. When she reached the last bottom, she rested her cold hands on his naked waist and chest for a second. It was like pushing ice cubes against his rather warm skin, yet it felt so good…

He didn't hesitate for a moment to kiss her hard and rough. She seemed a bit surprised at first, but she adjusted herself quickly and in less than a minute their tongues were fighting for dominance, as usual. He threw down his shirt, with a quick move he pulled off her top too. While gently sucking and biting her neck his hands moved up to her breasts, squeezing and massaging them.

"You're mine… - he whispered. - All mine…"

She moaned with her eyes closed, pushed him to the bed gently, her lean fingers were sliding down his upper body all the way into his pants.

"And you're mine… "- Thirrin smiled looking into his eyes, her glance filled by lust.

He gasped when he felt her fingers tightening and releasing around him, first slowly then faster and faster. Catching his breath of pleasure he started licking and sucking on one of her nipples, holding her by the waist.

"Babe… - he sighed. - Don't finish me off yet…"

"Am I that good?" - she smirked but stopped and slowly pulled down his pants.

"The very best" - he answered, with his hands on her hips, removing her leggings and panties. He pulled her to his lap by her rounded butt, she wrapped her legs around his waist and he buried himself into her. She was rocking herself against his thrusts, he was kissing her boobs again while she was kissing his neck. It was so intense he knew he wouldn't take for long:

"Come with me, Snowflake…" - Theon muttered against her skin.

"I'm not there yet… But you can help me…" - with that, she grabbed his hand and lead it between them. He knew what she wanted: he moistened his fingers with her wetness and started rubbing her while his thrusts became faster and rougher. Soon she wrapped herself tighter around him, he felt his whole body shaking, cried out her name, she cried out his name and finally both collapsed into the bed.

"I hope I wasn't dreaming… - Thirrin sighed and curled up to his side, resting her head on his chest. - I love you so much..."

"Then we had the same dream - he smiled. - I love you too."

 _What is dead may never die but rises harder and stronger._ \- Even considering certain not that pleasent circumstances, he was sure he rose harder and stronger: after many years he felt his life lowkey completed.


	26. Chapter 26

Late into the night, the snow fell and fell. She couldn't recall any other holiday season that would have resembled the _real_ winter. Usually there only were grey clouds, rain and mist, but not in this year. The sky was part bright blue, part covered with fluffy white clouds daytimes. Snow was falling every day, even on New Year's Eve.

Arya was walking through the streets of Oxford to one of her teammates' house for a New Year's Eve party that supposed to be "the one everyone will talk about after winter break". (You say such things when you're a teenager, your parents are out of town and you can convince your elder brother to buy for you basically everything at the liquor section.)

Even though she quite liked her teammates she could imagine better plans for New Year's, but Gendry was being Gendry again, therefore he texted her only that afternoon what her plans were for the evening. Arya didn't want to cancel the party, but she wanted to spend New Year's with him like she would do in the previous years, so she figured after some time she might be able to sneak out and greet the new year at another place.

She could sense something would happen to her in the new year, something that may change her life for good. She never believed the "new year, new me" bullshit but that evening she wasn't that convinced. She was wondering what her big change would be.

She finally reached her destination: she only realized then how late actually was. Based on the loud music and general noise of a party (like laughter, yelling and sound of opening bottles) everybody must have been having a good time.

Arya sighed and knocked the door.

 _Just one hour, then you can text the stupid bull where they are_.

Time was flying faster than she thought: when she took out her phone to text him, there was almost 11 PM - and a message was already waiting for her. Her heartbeat stopped for a second after she'd read it:

 _JH: A girl needs better company. If she walks down to the street, she gets it._

There were lots of things that Arya couldn't understand about Jaqen. For example, he knew things about her even though she'd never told him any of them. He always knew where she was, too, but it was at least explainable thanks to the goddamned Find my friends app. He could recognize when she was lying. He could read her like an open book. Also, he had this effect on her that modified her thoughts, focused them only on him and she couldn't do anything against it.

It happened that night too. She forgot about _everything_ and texted back like someone would control her fingers on the screen:

 _AS: You would be the better company?_

The reply arrived inmediately:

 _JH: Maybe. Maybe not. Give it a try?_

 _AS: Maybe._

At this point she could have turn him down, but she didn't do it, of course. Like some invisible force would lead her, she walked out of the house with a bottle of beer in her hand. He was already waiting for her under a streetlamp, with snowflakes in his bronze hair, a burning cigarette in his hand and the usual smirk on his lips.

"How aren't you freezing to death, lovely girl?" - he asked instead of greeting.

"Northern blood, I guess - she shrugged. - I'm never cold."

"Though you're pretty" - those mesmerizing eyes of his looked on her from her messy short brown hair to her combat boots.

"Thanks" - she nodded and sat to the edge of the fence. He followed her example.

She didn't consider herself specifically pretty: she was wearing her usual Martens boots with a pair of black high wasted skinny jeans that were ripped at the knees, a black long sleeved crop top and her everyday winter coat over. Though she was wearing a black choker necklace too and put on a very dark burgundy lipstick that she loved but couldn't wear for other occasions.

For some moments they didn't say a word. He was smoking his cigarette, she was drinking her beer. He seemed distracted, like he would be present only physically.

Finally Arya decided to break the silence:

"So the Erasmus party sucks?" - she asked, just to bring up some subject.

"Not that much, actually. The Central and Eastern European guys surely know how to party."

"Then why did you texted me?"

"I've seen you from the window. We're actually next door."

"And you wanted to spend the last hour of 2015 with me" - she raised her eyebrows.

"Don't be so sarcastic, lovely girl. You don't mind it, do you?"

She slowly shook her head. But as she said the words, she realized something and before she could have control herself, she asked:

"When are you going back?"

"In June. I still have six more month in this nice town."

"Are you looking forward to return to Braavos?"

"Once been to Braavos, one always wants to return. It's a place you can never forget."

"I would love to see it" - she sighed.

 _I just want to get out of this fucking country._

"You should. Braavos is a place for you. A place for everyone, actually. Doesn't matter who you are or where are you from. The only thing that matters is who you want to become."

"What if I don't know yet?"

"The city would help you figuring it out, lovely girl. Just don't forget the words: _Valar Morghulis_."

"What does it mean? Sounds like it has to mean something that's connected to death…"

"You're right… And yet you aren't. Literally it means "all men must die", but in reality it's a metaphor. If you greet someone like this, you want to warn them that you don't want to be recognized, you want to stay hidden. They answer _Valar Doaheris_ and your identity remains only yours. Perfectly convenient for people who seek getaway."

"I could claim myself whoever I want to be?"

"Whoever you want to be - he nodded. - No one, someone, it's up to you."

That fascinated her. A place where she wouldn't be anyone's daughter or sister, where she didn't have to deal with any expectations, where she could be free. A city she could explore until she knew every corner, every street, every building by heart.

Braavos attracted her since he'd first told her about it in details. She even checked how one could get there: flight to Barcelona then sailing to the island. Not that complicated, actually. If she could go there…

They heard the countdown from inside. _Eight! Seven! Six! Five!_

"It's almost midnight" - Arya whispered.

"Welcome to 2016, lovely girl"

With that, he pulled her closer and pushed his lips onto hers. Arya couldn't do or say anything, her body took over the control. Even though it was cold she was burning inside, she reached for his shoulders to hold onto. He was holding her by the waist, his hot fingers tracing patterns on her skin. His lips were surprisingly soft and tasted like cloves, rum and tobacco. At first only their lips met, he was gently kissing her in complete dominance. She was the one who deepened and fastened the kiss, exploring his mouth with her tongue. She _knew_ he would smirk if he could, as he adjusted himself to her hungry rhythm.

 _If every first kiss is like this, I know why people get super carried away with it._


	27. Chapter 27

**A/N: Extra long chapter (at least longer than usual), I hope you don't mind! Also, I recommend listening to Postmodern Jukebox on Youtube, their amazing covers really set the mood. Enjoy!**

The days after Christmas passed away super fast, filled with laughter, skating, collective Premier League and Star Wars watching and even more champagne and whisky. It was one of her most joyful holiday seasons ever, but Thirrin couldn't find alone time with her cousin to share with her the latest news. She needed it, thogh. The fact that her parents and Robb's parents had known each other blew her mind.

The two girls were getting ready for New Year's Eve in Margaery's room. While Margaery was curling her hair Thirrin told her everything. She spoke without interruption for a good five minutes, then looked at her questioningly.

"Okay, let's sum up everything! - Margaery said while twisting her hair into a nice low side bun. - First major thing: Robb Stark is single. Second major thing: Aunt Alysone and Robb Stark's father went to the Royal Business, in the same years, in the same group, all in all, together. Oh my God. Thirrin, it's more that a coincidence!"

"You think so? - Thirrin looked up from her mirror. - Someone up there likes messing with me, that's all - she made a gesture pointing at the ceiling with her makeup brush. - My mother being Robb's father's classmate, I being Robb's classmate AND his roommate's girlfriend, plus we're working together with his brother's girlfriend… Like I would be connected to him in a very twisted way."

"Don't forget about Lyanna Stark! - Margaery added. - She was Robb Stark's aunt and she's the main reason why we'll invest into Daenerys Targaryen."

That was Margaery's discovery who'd spent a whole afternoon researching about the fall of Targaryen dynasty.

"That's what I'm talking about… We even share the same features, both have auburn-red hair and blue eyes… He might be my astrological twin or shit like this" - she rolled her eyes.

"It cannot be possible, you were born in January while he was born in May! Though you still can be related, the Starks originally come from North and you're half Scott, after all… "

"Don't even continue… Margaery! - her eyes narrowed. - You know disturbingly many things about Robb Stark! - she pointed out but Margaery seemed to let it go by - By the way I love this palette, thank you again!"

"You welcome. I knew you'd love the Naked Smoked! Do you think I'm going to be okay like this?" - she asked when she finished pinning down her hair.

Margaery looked like a perfect vintage movie star: all matte face and perfect contouring, long lashes, matte red lipstick that had a warm undertone to it; her hair curled in elegant waves and twisted to a side bun. She was wearing a blue knee-length dress with small peplum, A-line skirt and deep V-cut. Her outfit was completed by classic pearl necklace, thin cream belt and a pair of simple nude heels.

"Perfect host as always - Thirrin said looking up to her. - My personal favorite of your New Year's outfits was that sparkly old gold flapper dress that you wore last year, but you're rocking the 40s too!"

"Thank you. I don't mean it as an insult but I have to ask: are you going to wear a skirt too?"

Until then Thirrin was sitting on the floor with all of her makeup products, wearing only a dark grey sweetheart corset, a pair of black fishnet stocking with the same grey garter belt and tiny grey lace panties.

"Sure! My bubble butt is only one person's business! - she winked. - Do you think I should put on this lipstick or some lipgloss would be enough? Have lipglosses already existed in the '40s?" - she pulled out of her makeup bag a matte berry lipstick and a similar colored lipgloss.

"Darling, you don't need statement lipstick when you're around Theon. Seriously, you're becoming the annoying couple who can't take their hands off of each other. You're almost worse than Loras and Renly!"

"That's not true!"

"Yes, it is - Margaery insisted. - You're stunning together, you deserve each other, I'm glad you've found each other but please moderate yourselves a little bit! Like you don't need to fuck in every room tonight."

"We won't, one room is usually enough!"

"Thirrin!"

"What? By the way according to Pinterest if I want to be super vintage I should put on the lipstick. Well, at least we shall see if it's really as longlasting as it's claimed to be."

"Which shoes are you going to wear?"

"My old dance shoes, anything else has simply too high heels to dance to vintage music."

After she finished putting on her lipstick and making sure her Vivien Leigh-styled hair was perfectly in place she put on a simple black skater skirt that was shorter than Margaery's and a pair of black shoes with straps and mid-high heels.

"You have to admit I'm sexy - she said checking herself in the mirror one more time. - Plus the corset makes people believe I have actual boobs."

"Yes, you're sexy - Margaery nodded. - Really. This captain's lover-thing suits to you. Shall we go?"

Margaery had been organizing New Year's parties since they had been allowed to go out, in other words, since a pretty young age. The first only girls allowed sleepover that included trying out champagne for the first time developed rapidly and by their last high school year getting invitation for New Year's to Highgarden became something very prestigious to young members of London's high society. Margaery claimed her personal mission organizing something even better year by year with eventual professional help.

When she entered the ballroom, Thirrin had to admit that year's party was Margaery's best work so far. Unlike the '20s party of last year, that time the decoration was sophisticated, a little bit darker than usual, but still very elegant and glamourous. The French-styled, richly decorated ballroom had been transformed into a minimalist, kind of decadent place with wide bars, an actual band that played vintage styled covers of current hits and a dancefloor.

Since Margaery'd been stopped right in the second the two girls reached the ballroom she was wandering alone searching for Theon. Soon she found him standing by one of the bars with Garlan, both sipping on whisky and looking like perfect vintage war heroes: Theon went for a navy theme with white pieces and blue details, while Garlan in his dark blue suit looked like someone who can casually set Italy AND France free at the same time.

"Hey guys!" - she greeted them and asked for a drink.

"Hey babe… Ohh… Thirrin, you look… Hot!" - seemed like Theon still couldn't decide whether he was happy or not that his girlfriend wasn't really wearing many actual clothes in public. Garlan, however, strongly expressed his opinion on Thirrin's outfit:

"Khm, I suppose you've forgot to put on your top."

"Let alone the big brother mode Garlan, this one will keep me safe tonight - she wrapped her arm around Theon's waist. - Both of you look great, if you'd ask. White suits you better than I thought."

"Thanks babe. This theme-party thing is better than I remembered. Though it may or may not helps that this time I don't have to walk around filling up everyone's glasses."

"Did you do theme party on board?"

"Theme CRUISE, to be more specific. Five goddamned Gatsby-themed days. We had glitters literally everywhere. There was a guy who had this big afro hair… He was washing it for like hours and still couldn't get out the glitter. So this Captain America-thing is much better. Seems less messy."

"Speaking of - Garlan changed the subject -, I still don't know what to think about the Civil War. Like it seems quite good, but lately Marvel's been all about visual effects and nothing more… Or I'm just too spoiled by getting dragged to watch French films."

"Voting for that one - Thirrin said. - You watch Marvel for pure fun. All the conceptions might be too American, but I like it anyway. Well, we shall see how it'll turn out."

"I think it has a lot of Avengers-hint to it based on the trailer - Theon added -, but I don't think it'll be bad. After all, Natasha being present never ruined anything so far, so I don't have any prejudice."

"So redheads are your thing, Greyjoy? I get you though, for Scarlett I'd even change team."

"Everyone with decent taste is into Scarlett, I think we can agree on that."

"Wise words Tyrell, cheers for that!"

All emptied their glasses and got refills right away.

"By the way has anything interesting happened yet?" - Thirrin asked.

"Not that much. Your youngest model cousin is currently flirting with Robb, but I don't think he wants to bang a 17-year-old who's almost taller than him."

"Let Meg try! Height doesn't matter once…"

"True, but he has moral gates against girls who are younger than his sister."

"I get what you're saying - Garlan nodded. - Other than that, really nothing yet. Be careful with Renly Baratheon though, he's got some very strong, very old and very expensive gin that he tries to get drunk everyone with."

"I'll be safe for sure, I don't drink liquid Christmas tree. Your sister should be warned instead of me, you must remember Margaery's 18th birthday, the one time she got truly drunk."

"I could NEVER forget that night."

Before they could have gone nostalgic about Margaery's 18th birthday (there's some kind of guilty pleasure in the fact that people who're known to be simply perfect can make mistakes too, in this case, getting carried away with gin-tonics), someone tapped her shoulders. She turned around: she found herself in front of a very handsome Robb Stark ( _After all, a nice suit can turn a solid 5 into a strong 8_ ) who was holding his phone as if it would be about to explode:

"Thirrin! Sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt anything, but… It's up!"

"What is up?"

"Financial Resource Management… " - he almost whispered.

Thirrin didn't have better idea than drinking her entire glass of whisky by one big sip. Their last exam had been extremely difficult, some of their classmates hadn't even had enough time to solve all the problems. Everyone agreed that they only could pray for passing it. To make everything even worse, they hadn't got the results yet.

"Oh fuck… You're right… - She carefully looked at the screen of her phone: an email was waiting for her too. _Dear Miss Thirrin Woodley, we are…_ \- Have you seen it yet?"

"No, I couldn't make myself open the email… I'm like 80% sure I failed, it was our hardest exam…."

"I KNOW, we did it together. I just wanted to rip the answer sheet and throw the pieces into the professor's face. Robb, I can't open it right now, I might break something - glasses, bottles, my phone-, if I fail… "

"Open it together, now, but somewhere a bit calmer… What kind of idiot puts on the exam results on fucking New Year's Eve anyway?!"

"The expert of how to screw up your students' fun kind of… Grab a bottle of wine and come with me!"

He nodded and followed her through the ballroom, out of the first door to the right, through a hallway to a small room that used to be dressing room when actual balls would be held in Highgarden. Now it functioned as some kind of storage.

"I think we should sit down for this" - Thirrin suggested, her hands shaking.

"Right… - both sat down to the vintage sofa, in front of each other. - We'll open it to three, okay?"

"Okay…"

"One… " - Robb began.

They unlocked the screen.

"Two…" - Thirrin continued.

They opened their inbox.

"Three!"

They opened the email too. Thirrin only could catch some words. Written exam… Passed… B+... She carefully looked up to Robb who was still staring at the screen in disbelief.

"It's impossible… - he gasped. - Thirrin, I… passed it!" - he exclaimed.

"Me too!"

It happened unintentionally yet naturally. They exchanged a happy and relieved, wide smile and hugged each other tight, like brother and sister after spending long time apart, like teammates after a victory. All the confusion and misunderstanting fell into place by a long, tight hug, she could sense it. As she wrapped her arms tighter around his shoulders (that were much bigger than she was used to) she could feel his scent: musk, cedar and amber that made a woody, fresh but aromatic mixture. It reminded her of something, but she couldn't tell what exactly.

After long minutes they released each other, on their face delighted surprise and confused smile.

"Wow… It was…" - he looked into her eyes humbling, looked like he didn't even know what to say.

"I think exactly what we needed - she smiled. - For a long time."

"Agree - he nodded. - What about opening this chardonnay?"

"Perfect."

Not having any glasses they drank straight out of the bottle, it felt like reliving her teenage years. After taking a long, big sip, she put down the bottle and looked into his blue eyes (that were darker than hers) hesitantly:

"Robb, I… I think I owe you an apology."

"For what?" - he raised his eyebrows.

"Look, I know you had a crush on me last autumn. Even if it's already gone, I should've thought about you when…"

"No, Thirrin, don't apologize - he cut in. - Actually, I'm very glad for you. I've already told Theon, but I'm telling you too. I have to admit though at first it was a bit confusing. You can't be indifferent to anyone, to be honest. Also, it was weird in general seeing Theon with a girl like you. Like someone who's clever, has opinion about things and who's more than just pretty."

"I know… It was confusing for me too. Especially after I'd learnt how important you are for Theon. I didn't want to ruin your friendship. But you have to understand we simply… Needed each other."

"I don't blame you, Thirrin, neither of you. I know you needed each other. And even if it was a bit weird at first, I accepted it. Look, I know you and me… That would've never happened anyway" - he sighed.

"That doesn't mean we cannot mean ANYTHING to each other…"

"What do you want to say?"

"Look Stark, I've always liked you. As a friend, as a cousin, as a great person I generally like."

"Even after…?"

"Come on Robb, I partied through my high school years, therefore I've seen and done some things! Anyway, as I said I've always liked you and I've been trying to be kind to you, but you've always seemed if I would… Scare you."

"You have to admit you're kind of scary. Less scary since you've been with Theon, but still… Everyone says you're so… Cold."

"I have good reasons and people seem to accept it. What I'm trying to say is that since I'm officially Theon's girlfriend now, I think we should start being grown-ups and…"

"Try to maintain a normal relationship, I was thinking about it too" - he nodded.

"That's good - she sighed in relief. - I mean, we both love Theon, right? It would be so weird if his best friend and his girlfriend couldn't be in the same room…"

"Thirrin, you know why we broke up with my ex? - he asked suddenly. - Wait, you probably know…"

"Your over-jealous girlfriend thought you're still into me, yes, Theon told me - she nodded handing him the wine bottle. - It's kind of illogical considering that I only met her once, and even if I didn't wear much clothing it was because I'd just fucked with…"

"Of course, that's what I told her too! Well, not exactly that, but at least I told her you're not a slut."

"Ohh thank you Robb! That's so sweet of you! Even if practically we were the reason why you broke up…"

"To be honest, I was planning on breaking up for a while - Robb admitted staring into nowhere. - You know, for a long time I've been feeling this relationship doesn't make sense anymore. I know, it sounds like…"

"No, it's okay - she shook her head. - It happens that you fell out of love."

"I guess something similar happened. I don't know exactly since when I was feeling it. Maybe I started doubting when my brother told me he wanted to propose his girlfriend. They're meant to be, it's true, but it also opened up my eyes… I realized we can't take a step further. Then you were there too, of course. Seeing my best friend changing to a better way…"

"I didn't change him - she said quietly. - He just needed someone to love."

"Then I'm saying in other words: you inspired him to take out his better side - he insisted. - Just like Ygritte did to Jon, and look at them, they're getting married… So I also realized I'm not inspired in this relationship and… I should've already ended it but I didn't. I thought it could be fixed."

"I know how you're feeling… You're in a toxic relationship, you're surrounded by happy couples… And you just cannot do anything, you hold on for nothing."

"Exactly. Now it's better, I feel relieved. But… Somehow it still sucks. Also, I have no idea why I've just told you all this."

"No problem Robb - she smiled encouraging. - Hey, head up! It's not the end of the world if you don't end up forever with your first serious partner. Patterns change. A new year is coming, so take the chance and live! Enjoy your freedom, do something different, go out, travel, whatever you want. A little fun never killed nobody. You're young, you're a great person, you're smart, you're hot… Yes, you're hot! - she repeated seeing his surprised face. - Just because I have a boyfriend I'm not blind! So don't you dare whining about how your life sucks, because it only depends on you."

"Oh my… You're such a great motivator... " - he couldn't react anything else yet. Thirrin had to admit she had got a bit carried away. _Motivational drunk is a new phase. I kind of like it._

"This is how you survive stuff - she shrugged. - Also, it's kind of the point of what we're studying, don't you think?"

"You're right… Thank you, Thirrin. People should be grateful to have you as a friend" - he smiled finally.

"You can buy me coffee on the first day of school if you want. I drink plain black americano."

"I won't forget about it."

Blue eyes met each other - blue like ice and blue like sky - , full of trust and hope. Talking about feelings over a bottle of wine - you don't do that with strangers, but your greatest friends, both of them knew that. Yet they had been almost strangers to each other despite they'd spent all the schooldays together. Strangers, until that point. Both of them could sense something had started that night: a friendship both needed for a long time.

"Oh my God, it's less than 15 minutes until midnight! - Thirrin broke the silence when she looked at her phone. - We've been here for more than an hour… I guess we should get back, we're out of wine anyway."

"Okay. Let's go, unless we'll miss the countdown!"

* * *

"Where the hell have you been?" - Theon asked confused when Thirrin finally returned. Everyone had already been getting ready for the countdown: the last song was playing and the crowd was growing bigger and bigger.

"I was trying to look like one who can handle problems like a sane grown-up - she explained. Also, Robb and I made peace or… I don't even know, but the point is we're okay now."

"Like you can talk without neither of you blushing or humbling?" - he smirked.

"I think so."

"Awesome. Look, I got us a whole bottle of champagne, and…"

"Hellooo! - Margaery appeared out of nowhere and hugged her. - Thirrin, have I mentioned that you're looking stunningly sexy tonight?"

"Margaery, you're drunk as fuck" - she said shortly looking at her cousin: her brown eyes were shining brighter than they were supposed to be, she had way too wide smile on her face and her natural blushing could be easily seen through her makeup.

"Noooo, I'm just having an amazing time! - she protested with wide eyes. - Oh, you've already got champagne? I'll go and get some too."

"Positively drunk" - Theon whispered when she left.

"No doubt - Thirrin nodded. - I don't know if I could handle her…" - she started worried but he cut in:

"Snowflake, hey! - he cupped her face between his hands. - She's a big girl, she can take care of herself. I've seen people in every possible drunk phase and I can tell you she's gonna be okay. She might do something crazy or unusual but at least she'll have some fun."

"Okay… - she sighed. - After all, Margaery can control herself better than me. Her 18th birthday was a sophisticated tea party compared to mine."

The music stopped, tensible silence fell to the room. Every head turned to the big, old clock that was hanging on the wall. The crowd counted back simultaneously, louder and louder:

"Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, FOUR, THREE, TWO, ONE!"

Thirrin found herself in the middle of a collective group hug, surrounded by people she truly cared about, in the arms of the man she loved all of her heart. 2015 had been a rollercoaster to her, ups and downs changing fast. In the beginning of the year she was broken and defeated, yet hope was returning to her slowly. She hadn't held on for nothing: she couldn't imagine a better end of the year.

"Happy New Year, Greyjoy" - she stood to her tiptoes, wrapping her arms tighter around him.

"And you too, Snowflake" - he kissed her passionately, one hand running through her hair, another resting on her lower back. Her head leaned back giving him full dominance, her fingers tangled in his hair. She heard hollowing voices of celebration: people wishing happy new year and clinking glasses, but his fastening heartbeat and breathing seemed louder. The taste of his mouth - whisky, salt and smoke - and the scent of his skin - sandalwood, ocean breeze and smoke made her feel relaxed and tensed at the same time. No one felt this right kissing before.

For the rest of the night Thirrin decided she deserved some fun: the music was amazing, the champagne was delicious, her shoes made for dancing through the night and even turned out Theon could actually dance and he could do it quite well, like he would have learnt it before: he moved with ease and natural confidence, guiding her and whirling her around like a pro.

"Wondering what kind of hidden talents you still have…" - she winked her hips moving to the rhythm of swing.

"Let me think… For example undoing your corset in less than… Fifteen seconds" - Theon smirked and pulled her closer.

"This one? I don't believe you."

"Do you want me to prove it?" - his green eyes narrowed and darkened by lust.  
She only nodded with her bottom lip between her teeth.

In the next minute they already been kissing intensely in the small hallway. He was caressing her thighs, she already wrapped one leg around his waist while she was unbuttoning his shirt.

"Hey… - she stopped him when he was about to move on to her neck. - I'd be grateful if you didn't fuck me in the hallway."

"Ohh, sure… - Theon nodded. - This room seems empty and the door isn't closed either" - he pushed in the door in front of them.

But neither of them expected what they saw in the dimmed room: a girl and a guy laying on a sofa, tangled in each other's arms, most of their clothes thrown to the floor, making out so intensely that only could finish with one thing. Their moans of pleasure so loud Thirrin was wondering how they hadn't noticed earlier. He had big shoulders and back and auburn curly hair, she was petite and brunette.

Before they would be noticed or frozen completely Thirrin quickly closed the door and looked at Theon who still was staring at the door in disbelief. They exchanged a surprised look: when both of them told Robb Stark he should loosen up, enjoy the new freedom and live, neither of them thought fucking Margaery Tyrell would be a possible way of it.


	28. Chapter 28

When Margaery woke up on New Year's Day, she couldn't even move or open her eyes. As she lifted her head a bit with her eyes still closed, she felt as if everything inside her would just flow out. It was like feeling sick and sore at the same time.

 _This is how hangover feels like? How's Thirrin still alive?_

Finally she managed to slowly open her eyes but wished she didn't. Her room was a mess: several clothing items on the floor, a bottle that used to contain rosé champagne, part of her bedding also on the floor. But when she turned her head to the other side, she almost screamed: a handsome, masculine guy with curly auburn hair, auburn stubble and massive shoulders was peacefully sleeping next to her, resting one arm around her waist, another tangled in her frizzy hair.

She turned back quickly. At first Margaery couldn't believe what she saw. Then the memories of the previous night started returning to her mind: it started with the goddamned prestigious family gin that made her see the entire world brighter and easier. Then one thing followed another and the next thing she could remember was Robb Stark pushing her against the wall of the first empty room they'd found, hungrily kissing her while nearly ripping off each other's clothes, and after…

 _OH MY FREAKING GOODNESS… What the hell have I done?_

She wasn't sure where they got that champagne and why they had to drink it, but she remembered what happened after the fast, but delightful round when she suggested to come up to her room: his stubble gently tickling her inner thighs while making his way upwards, kissing and licking her down there, herself holding onto his thick hair and scratching his strong back. Rocking herself on top of him, squeezing each others' hands tightly, standing together in the shower, her legs around his waist, his arms holding her tight, both covered by soft foam of shower gel that smelled like green tea...

 _I basically spent the first hours of the new year having sex with Robb Stark… Having sex and drinking champagne… Oh holy shit..._

All of her muscles were sore like after a hard workout. Her lips hurt: they were swollen and puffy. She had light, but still visible hickies on her neck and chest area and bruises on her hips - he must have held her too tight. On top of everything she had a terrible headache too.

Deep in her mind she knew something like this would happen soon. Her brothers and Thirrin (and in the past few days even Theon

Greyjoy) would tease her that she needed to have proper sex as soon as possible. She had to agree, but she definitely didn't want to solve the issue by a one night stand, which wasn't her thing at all.

She tried to use one of those calming breathing techniques that she'd learnt on yoga class but didn't really have any success: _he_ was too close, the touch of his warm hand on her skin and his enchanting scent (warm and masculine mixture of amber and musk with a fresh woody hint) made her entire body tensed.

 _Breath in, breath out_ \- she told herself. - _It's not the end of the world. You live in the 21th century, people are having one night stands in this second. Your brothers've had them, your cousin's had like a million of them, so once in a lifetime you can have one too. Both of you were drunk, well, you were drunker than him, but still. It happens. Maybe it doesn't mean him that much. Maybe he'll walk out of the door and you'll never see each other again._

This last thought almost made her cry. She'd _never_ felt being this attracted to anyone before. She had some boyfriends, she hooked up with people, but never had sex with them the first time they met. Slowly but effectively building up a relationship, not jumping right into the middle - that was her philosophy. But he was different. His deep voice, his unrealistically sexy scent, his strong arms, his beautiful blue eyes, the way he danced with her, the way he kissed her, the way he held her, the way he caressed all over her body, the way he whispered _my rose_ softly before both of them fell into the white fire of lust…

 _It's crazy. I don't fall for people_ \- she thought _._ \- _I get to simply like people, not fall for them. And most importantly not fall into people's arms after like five minutes of dancing. Now he probably thinks I'm a stupid little slut who desperately needs to be fucked… Why, why, why did I have to do it with Robb?! If I literally hadn't screwed up everything it could have been a start of something that actually makes sense…_

Margaery was trying to convince herself that she didn't need a man to fulfill her life but as she saw people around her getting together with someone caused several second thoughts. Christmas didn't help either as all of her relatives had made comments that she should get a boyfriend too. Not any kind of boyfriend, of course, but one who could fit into the family's conception. Her major problem was that Robb actually fit into her requirements: he looked very handsome, he was member of a prestigious old family, he was known to be kind, generous and intelligent, and last, but definitely not least, he was a great lover too. Therefore she really wanted more than just one night, but didn't see much chance of any sequence.

 _I don't have enough time for a boyfriend anyway. I have school, business, yoga, Pilates and I wanted to start learning Arabic this semester too… Jesus who am I kidding, I clearly have too much free time, of course I could find some for him…_

As her thoughts darkened and darkened she suddenly felt his arm tightening around her waist and his hand reaching for hers. He had warm and big hands, twice the size of her elegant, small hands, maybe that's why they fit into his perfectly. He pulled her closer, she could feel the heat of his body even through the sheets. Her breathing became faster and heavier, she forgot about all of her worries and squeezed his hand unintentionally.

 _If it's our last time together, please do what you did to me when we first did it in my room…_

With her bottom lip between her teeth she turned her head to the other side, he started moving and then… He opened his eyes, looked like he wasn't sure either at first where he was. He looked at their hands that were still tightened around each other then into her eyes.

"Oh fuck… - Robb whispered. - Hey."

"Khm, well… Good morning - Margaery freed her hand and wrapping a blanket around herself carefully sat up, though the new position almost made her throw up. - Have you slept well?" - she asked, just to say something.

"Sure, sure…" - he nodded and sat up too. He seemed a bit uncomfortable just like her and he had little bite marks on the side of his neck and shoulders too.

Awkward silence. She wished somebody entered the room or a bomb exploded between them. Anything could have been better than this.

After minutes (hours?) of quietly looking at anywhere but directly each other (though Margaery had to admit he looked very hot at soft daylight too, with the shadowplay on his skin, his toned muscles, his well-sculpted face and his hair shining in the shades of fire) Robb finally broke the ice:

"Just to know, I usually like to get to know girls a little bit before I have sex with them."

"Oh… Same here - she nodded. - With guys. But you get it."

"I know" - this time he might or might not have a little smirk on his lips.

"How?" - her eyes widened.

"You told me last night. When we were in that small dark place. That's why we drank that champagne, you said we had to celebrate your first… Oh God do you remember anything? - he looked straight into her eyes, his glance full of worries. - You actually seemed quite okay… "

"Of course! - she cut in quickly. - Some things still aren't that clear but I remember the important things. Also, I usually don't drag guys up to my room" - she added, her cheeks turned into a light rosie shade.

"Well, I guess we're on the same side."

"Yes. But I'm really not like this - she repeated. - I don't get this drunk, like never. It was because of the fucking gin. I'll kill Renly Baratheon."

"Yes, you said that too."

"Fuuuuuck… - she wanted to bang her head against the wall. - Again, I usually remember things I've said or done and I usually don't swear this much nor humble about stupid things to people I… Spend the night with."

"If it makes you feel better I had a great night anyway" - his lips curved into a gentle smile while he wrapped his fingers around hers.

"That's… Good. Me too" - she managed to answer. Her cheeks were definitely burning in the deepest shade of red.

Another tensed silence fell to them, so thick one could almost cut it with a knife. Margaery couldn't do anything but desperately hoping

for a miracle to save the day.

 _Focus Tyrell, focus. If you keep talking about all the randomness that you did last night it'll become even more awkward. You can do better than this. You can control the situation, just act cool, like a normal person. You've always got who you wanted. Though you've always slept with them only after two or three partly sober dates… Oh God could it possibly get any worse?_

"Look, you have to know that I haven't had a one night stand either until this point, I don't want to objectify girls just for sex so if you want me to leave your room, I totally get it - again, Robb broke the silence. He was talking so fast she barely could follow. - Everyone's been telling me this live in the moment - thing in the past few days, I had more drinks than I should have, but I didn't mean to take advantage of you being so adorable and… "

"Ohh, no! I mean you can stay - she corrected herself trying to look eased. - I don't think you objectified me at all because if I remember correctly I was the one who said we should go somewhere private. Which, again, isn't my thing. I did many things last night I usually don't do."

"Well, I've been told recently widening comfort zone is quite beneficial. We both did exactly that" - his smile seemed rather forced and nervous than easy and careless that he probably wanted to go for.

 _He's trying to act cool too. He wants to see me again too_ \- she realized _._ \- _Why would I wait for him to say out loud? Shit, always being the good girl haven't worked so far, maybe I should go a little bit bad._

"So that's it?- she asked fiercely. - Soon you'll leave and we'll remember last night the time when our comfort zones have widened?"

He sighed, as if she would have just said what he was thinking of. But then he smiled and put his arm around her shoulders just to sliding it down all the way to her waist.

"To be honest, I'm a little bit confused too and also slightly hangover - he admitted -, but if you gave me your number, we could keep in touch and we could figure out what comes next."

"That would be… Great" - she smiled back, but couldn't _not_ stare at his lips, slightly bending her head to the side.

She couldn't say which one of them kissed the other: suddenly she was sitting on his lap still tangled in blankets, he was holding her by the waist, his tongue teasing her lips begging for entrance, her relatively long nails biting into his skin causing ten more little scars…

 _Fuck the expectations, fuck the unwritten rules, I want to live_ \- she thought while kicking off the blankets to get closer to him.

 **A/N: Earlier update, but I couldn't wait for the weekend to post it. Seems like this happens when you get too excited about a new pairing to focus on. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed!**


	29. Chapter 29

"I'm such an idiot" - Robb said desperately when his brother opened the door.

"Ugh, sorry… Would you like a cup of tea?" - Jon asked.

"What?"

"Catelyn always offers tea when someone is upset - he shrugged. - Come in!"

He followed him into the flat that looked like a mixture of Ikea and random secondhand stores. Jon and Ygritte lived in the cheaper, artsy area of the Northern Zone in a small place. It only had one bedroom and downstairs there weren't any walls so the kitchen and the livingroom were separated only by a counter, there wasn't a specific hall, but the atmosphere was warm and cozy with the big old fireplace, the large windows, the drawings on the wall and the general, somehow still organized mess. The air smelled like burning wood, freshly made coffee, a hint of tobacco and mixture of their colognes (sour citrus and fresh floral scent).

It was January 2th, Jon and Ygritte had returned from Paris earlier that day as they had school next week already. Robb really needed to share with someone everything what had happened on New Year's Eve (and this someone must have had the same opinion on reckless drunk one night stand as him) so when he got to know they were already at home he called Jon if he could come over.

He stood by the fridge, watching his brother who put on some water in a kettle to boil and took out of the cupboard several little boxes:

"Okay, I believe we have simple black tea, black and green mixture, flavoured black…"

"You're seriously going to make tea for me?" - he raised his eyebrows.

"Your mother has some tricks that actually work, so why not?"

"Fine, simple black will be okay, thank you… - he sighed. - Congrats for the engagement again! - A little memory popped into his mind. - The ring… Is it a Cartier?"

"What? - Jon asked back, his face reflecting incomprehension. - Of course not, fashion illustration doesn't pay that well to buy a Cartier ring and I don't steal from the office. But thanks anyway. Why are you asking?"

"Not important… - he shook his head. - How has Paris been?"

"Amazing. There aren't enough words to describe it. So cliché, I know, but this is the truth. We didn't plan out anything, instead we were spontaneous and got lost in the city. Though no one really spoke English so I had to use my kind of faided French knowledge and turned out I didn't forget that much! Another cliché but I got so inspired I could finish my upcoming work for Vogue. I still have to go to the office to show it to my editor but I think she'll like it."

"Sounds great, I'm glad you had a good time. What did you do on New Year's?"

"A couple of New Yorkers threw a party in the Airbnb next to ours and they invited us so we went there. It turned out very good, too good actually, the next morning I felt like my head would blow up… Fucking sweet champagne. But enough about Paris, we'll probably have to tell everything in detail the next time we go home. So, why are you such an idiot?" - he took out of the cupboard three mugs: a simple maroon Ikea mug, one with a surrealistic painting printed on it and a Christmas-themed one.

"Who is such an idiot? Hey, Robb!" - Ygritte walked in, barefoot and wearing a long oversize cream knitted sweater. He glanced at her left hand unintentionally where she was wearing the delicate engagement ring.

"My brother claims that about himself and I guess it has something to do with the holidays."

"Fuck, you aren't considering getting back together with your ex, are you? - she pulled herself up to the counter. - I admit it was a little bit too much breaking up on Christmas Eve, but it doesn't mean you have to…"

"Not at all. It's… New Year's - Robb sighed. - I didn't plan it! When all of you suggested I should let her go, be free and live I'm sure you didn't want me to go to the fanciest New Year's party in London and sleep with the host, even if she was so pretty and enchanting like…"

"Try again because I couldn't catch anything - Jon interrupted him. - Slowlier, in whole sentences and in English, please."

He took some deep breaths, and trying not to ramble again, started telling everything that had happened from the very beginning:

"Okay. So after Jeyne and I broke up I went out with Theon and he said I should go to Highgarden for New Year's. It's the Tyrells' mansion in the Holland Park."

"You seriously thought spending New Year's at the same place as Thirrin Woodley would be a good idea?" - Jon raised his eyebrows.

"Not again! Actually lots of things happened that night, for example Thirrin and I succeed to make things clear between us, but that's not the point. So imagine a very fancy house party, everyone dressed up nicely and getting drunk effectively. Nothing interesting happened until a bit after midnight when I asked Margaery Tyrell, she's Thirrin's cousin, for a dance. Neither of us were sober… "

"We understood the getting drunk effectively part, go on."

"... and you know how it works with slow vintage songs… One dance turned two, we were flirting, she was beautiful, one thing happened after another and we ended up in a room that must have been abandoned for years and had sex on the dustiest couch ever" - he didn't think it would be necessary to mention that in that moment he couldn't care less where they had been: feeling her soft peachy skin against his body, tasting her mouth with kisses, letting her sweet rose scent blur his mind…

"Wow, I haven't expected it! - his brother's voice dragged him back to reality. - Is that all?"

"No… After she suggested we should go upstairs to her bedroom, I couldn't resist, so… Yeah."

"You were fucking all night in every possible way" - Jon finished it instead of him.

"Basically… Yes" - he nodded.

In front of him grey and blue eyes exchanged an amazed look, but neither of them seemed particularly upset. For some minutes all of them were silently drinking their tea.

"Okay, and what makes you idiot here? - Jon asked finally. - Beside the obvious reason that having drunk one night stands hasn't been your thing so far."

"Wait, it depends - Ygritte said. - Did you ask her number?"

"Yes."

"Good - she nodded. - Have you called her?"

"Khm… no" - he could see in her eyes his answer couldn't be any worse. He was right.

"YOU SCREWED MY FRIEND YET HAVEN'T CALLED HER?!" - Ygritte exclaimed, her eyes so furious Robb was afraid she would simply slap him. Maybe Jon thought the same because he gently grabbed her wrist that was about to move.

"What the hell?! - his eyes widened. - How do you know her?"

"We work together, and before you freak out, yes, London is a tiny little city if you haven't noticed yet. In this case, you're really an idiot, Stark. Though you still have time if you asked her number yesterday, she's single, you're single, what are you waiting for? Or wasn't it good?"

"No, it was very good - he could feel his face turning as red as his hair. _It's been the absolut BEST._ \- But… Do you know why I wanted to break up with Jeyne on the first place?"

"No, but let me guess. You realized dating a med student isn't fun unless you're a med student as well. You realized you don't have enough sex. Or…"

"NO! - he cut in before Ygritte could have got even more carried away. - I thought I could use some alone time to figure out who I am and what I want in life in general!"

"Jesus Robb, where did you read this bullshit? - she rolled her eyes. - You're studying business because you'll get the family business once your father retires, what's here to figure out?"

"That's the point! I'm not completely sure if I did the right decision when I applied to Royal Business…"

"Do you want to drop out of school?" - Jon asked, his grey eyes widened.

"I don't know! That's what I need to figure out! Like what if I should transfer into History major, or French, or Bionic Engineering, or…"

"I really don't want to make your decisions instead of you - his brother interrupted him -, but you sucked at physics as much as I did, even though you're good at math at least. So I guess Bionic Engineering wouldn't be the best idea..."

"Either way, I just thought I should start new year with a clean slate: you know, getting to know myself better, getting back to working out, finding an internship that isn't a department of our own company…"

"I can't see why Margaery wouldn't fit into this pattern - Ygritte pointed out. - I will be brutally honest to you…"

"You're always brutally honest."

"Hmm, good point… - she smirked. - Anyway, I think you would be the biggest fool if you let her go. You can figure out yourself WHILE dating with her, moreover, I think Margaery is exactly the one who would even help you at this. Look, I know her quite well, she's very nice, intelligent and more interesting than all the basic chicks you've ever dated together. "

"But I… I never have sex with anyone right when I meet them! I was drunk, she was drunk, and I'm not entirely sure we were sober the morning after either. What if she changed her mind, thinks I'm just a jerk and doesn't want to see me again?"

"See, that's the problem with you! With both of you, to be honest! - she jumped off the counter. - You can't even deny you're fucking related because both of you tend to overthink everything!"

"What do I have to do with Robb's one night stand?!" - Jon asked her confused.

"I love you Jon, but this is the truth, sorry not sorry! Robb, life is so fucking simple once you stop thinking too much! I've already told you but I guess I have to repeat myself all over again! Gosh, and they say you're smart… If you like her and you want more than a one night stand, take you fucking phone and text or call her! We aren't in the 15th century, you don't have to marry her in two weeks! Fuck it, I'm so done with you Stark… I'm out for a smoke!" - with that, she stormed out of the kitchen, her frizzy ginger hair flitting on her back.

They were staring after her, then exchanged an astonished look.

"Are you sure you want to marry her?" - Robb asked his brother.

"Obviously, that ring was quite expensive - he laughed. - She's a bit too harsh but you have to admit she's right. Try asking one date. Come on, it's written on your face you want to see Margaery again."

Robb only nodded. Though he didn't expect to be back on track this soon he accepted the challenge: conquering Margaery Tyrell's heart in his usual gentleman-like, but even more special way. At this thought he felt sensation of excitement that he hadn't felt in a long time and what made him smile widely.

 **A/N: I hope you liked the update! School starts next week, I don't know how much free time I'll have but I'll try to keep up my regular update schedule. Reviews are always appreciated! :)**


	30. Chapter 30

The first yoga class of the new year was exactly what Margaery needed to calm herself down and find some peace. During class she always could clear her mind completely, focusing on her body, her balance and Tyene Sand's beautiful, a bit deep, calming voice.

As always, she succeed: after class, laying on her mat in corpse pose she was able to forget about everything what's been bothering her lately, including one specific person.

"Thank you everyone! You've done a great job starting the new year. See you on Thursday. Namaste!"

Margaery sighed and slowly rolled up. It was time to get back to reality.

She walked out of the room with the others, still in the nice, relaxed after yoga mode that she loved.

The studios for different classes were on the second floor, while a big, proper gym with all the equipments was on the first floor. It had big windows that looked to the hallway, so everybody who passed there could see what was happening in the gym. She'd been visiting the fitness studio for so long she knew by sight almost everyone who went there around the same time as her. That's why she got curious when she discovered a new member in the gym. She couldn't see his face, because he was doing the most perfect pull-ups she had ever seen and the mirrors on the wall were too far away as well, but he looked sexy as hell from behind too: slightly shredded back, strong arms, messy curly auburn hair that must have been extra soft… Somehow he seemed her familiar, but she was sure she'd never seen him there before.

She found herself leaning against the wall, staring at the new hot guy, counting how many pull-ups he could do: twelve, thirteen, fourteen, fifteen, sixteen, seventeen, eighteen… After some time she lost count, she only could concentrate on the way how his muscles were moving, his hands that were tightened around the bar, wishing those hands would tighten around _her…_ Finally he released the bar, jumping off with ease and energy. He quickly stretched his arms, picked up his stuff and went out of the gym: he must have finished his workout too. The miracle was over.

She couldn't do anything but continue her way to the dressing rooms. She already made it to the right hallway when suddenly she heard a _way too familiar_ voice calling her name:

"Margaery!"

Her heart skipped a beat when she turned around: she found herself in front of Robb, who looked incredibly handsome even wearing sweaty workout clothes and with his hair messed up. His muscles were pumped and hardened, she could see his veins on his hands and arms, his sky-blue eyes were shining by the endorphin that one gains after workout.

She quickly glanced at herself before greeting him: she looked quite flattering even wearing dark blue yoga pants with matching dark blue sports bra, no makeup and her hair put up in a messy bun.

"Ohh… Hey! - she smiled brightly, trying to control her breathing. - New year, new me?"

"Kind of, I'm just trying to get back on track - he smiled back. - I thought I should try out a new gym as motivation. You?"

"I had yoga class, it was amazing as always."

"So do you go here often?" - he asked, casually pressing one hand against the wall, shortening the distance. They were so close she could see the air vibrating around them.

"Yes, yoga is my passion, I love it - she nodded. - Though I lost a bit of flexibility during winter break, I could feel my Warrior Two should have gone deeper."

She realized the possible second meaning of what she'd just said when Robb only nodded a bit confused and his face turned into a light red shade.

 _Watch you language, Tyrell! You have to be careful with everything you say, he made you orgasm like no one else, after all. He hasn't called you back, though, so you might want to say goodbye and walk away not stare at his lips like a lunatic…_

"I guess it's normal - he said then. - My pull-up results used to be better too but I just need to push myself harder. At least the technique was okay, don't you think?" - he smirked.

"Ugh, well, I … " - she froze. _Oh holy shit, how can you make me so fool? Have you been…?_

"I saw you were watching me - he explained, half laughing. - There're mirrors everywhere, you know."

"Oh, sure… - she noticed the distance between them practically disappeared, though they didn't touch each other _yet._ She also noticed his chest was rising and falling faster than normal, that their hands on the wall were placed by centimeters next to each other and she had to squeeze her thighs together as the boiling hot feeling of lust was fulfilling her body. - Sorry" - she finally whispered.

"You shouldn't have" - he reached for a piece of curly light brown hair that somehow had loosened from her bun and tucked it behind her ear gently.

She opened her mouth as if she wanted to answer but she could say nothing. Brown eyes met blue, both darkened by passion, she heard playing the hollowing melody of _Talking Body_ , and…

"Who are we kidding with, Robb?" - she asked boldly.

"No idea" - with that, he pulled her closer by the hips and pressed his lips against hers. She kissed him back without hesitation, holding onto his arms, with her tongue exploring his mouth that tasted minty and fruity at the moment. He squeezed her butt while caressing her back with his other hand: his touch was gentle yet he made obvious she belonged to him. They were so close and they wore so little clothing she could feel his body completely, pulsing against hers.

Neither of them knew what it was or what could possibly come next, the only thing they were sure was that they wanted each other more than anything.

"Are we going to continue it?" - Robb asked suddenly, breathing heavily.

"It's up to you" - she gasped.

"Only if you want it too… " - he said with his hands on her hips.

"Can you hold on for about fifteen minutes? I live three blocks away. Though I'm not sure… "

"I'm 99% sure Thirrin is still at our place if that's what you wanted to say" - he cut in.

"Then… See you at the exit" - she kissed him on the lips for the last time.

Margaery couldn't remember any other time when she was able to get ready after workout this fast. She didn't bother putting back her jewelry or changing into jeans: she pulled her knitted sweater over her sports bra, put on her over-the-knee boots, her scarf and her coat, sprayed on some perfume, threw everything else into her gym bag and stormed out of the door.

He hadn't been there yet so she had to wait for him in front of the building. The modern complex fit surprisingly well into the traditional pastel environment that Mayfair was famous of. She almost lost hope when he arrived: he owned the effortless British elegance too with his simple but quality clothes and navy blue coat that brought out the color of his eyes perfectly. The normally bright blue was still a bit darkened.

They exchanged a smile and when he offered his hand she took it without thinking.

"So this is where you live? - he asked after some minutes of walking. - This area looks beautiful!"

"It's even prettier in spring. The trees are blooming, the buildings seem even brighter, the streets resemble to postcards. Where do you… Oh nevermind, I know, in the Northern Zone - she suddenly realized. - Do you like it?"

"It's quite calm but everything important is still close, so yes, I like living there. But let me ask you something: you're a trueborn Londoner, right? Why did you move from home anyway?"

"Well, the flat where we live actually belongs to Thirrin, by inheritance, it became hers officially when she turned eighteen. Its location is perfect, we wanted to move from home once university started anyway, so we ended up staying there. Ohh, here we are!"

Trying not to look _too excited_ she lead the way up to the door. The keys _had to be_ in the bottom of her bag, obviously. As she was looking for them her hands were shaking and her heartbeat fastened: he gently hugged her waist from behind and in a sudden moment his hand slid down and squeezed her butt, his breath was hot like summer air and his scent so overwhelming it blurred her mind completely.

She finally found her keys and as fast as she could she opened the door. As soon as both of them entered Robb slammed the door and kissed her hard, pushing her against the wall. She brushed her fingers through his hair all the way to his neck, on this he took her bottom lip between his teeth. She moaned in pleasure while with still shaky hands she tried to pull off their coats. He reached under her sweater, his warm, a bit dry and cracked hands were brushing her skin while he pulled her closer and deepened the kiss even more.

"Good guys don't kiss like this" - Margaery teased him when they parted for a second.

"And who said I was good, my rose?" - he winked, his lips curved into perky smile.

She couldn't help but giggle, yet she'd already been burning inside, so she grabbed his hand and lead him upstairs to her room.

"You might have mentioned you don't drag people into your room like this" - he smirked.

"You're not _people._ You're _you_ " - with that she pulled off her sweater.

"Well, in this case… " - he lifted her up by her butt easily, carried her to the bed and layed her down to the blankets. She couldn't do anything but watch him throwing down his hoodie and unhooked his belt. His muscles were still pumped, his eyes so dark she barely could see the blue in them. He layed beside her, and carefully sliding his hand under her bra started planting kisses on her neck.

Turned out removing a sports bra could be just as complicated as in a regular one's case, but once solved the problem his lips moved down exploring her body with soft, hot kisses while he was holding onto her hips. She arched her back in pleasure, her hands were running through his hair, she bit on her bottom lip not to scream _yet._

"Are you sure you want this?" - he asked when he reached the waistband of her yoga pants, his voice raucous, his eyes narrowed, his breath fastened.

"Of course - she gasped. - I don't want you to hold yourself back, _my wolf_ "- she added.

He smiled like he was ready to consume her. With one quick move he pulled down her leggings and her panties and returning to kiss her lips again, he shoved two fingers into her wetness.

Their tongues were moving to the rhythm of his hand, she closed her eyes, pulled her arms tighter around him, moaned into his mouth and… The heat of passion hit her so hard she couldn't even follow what was happening to her. Suddenly her toes curled, she felt like a bomb exploded in her body, cried out and minutes later, when she opened her eyes she was looking into the depth of bluest blue.

"You're so easy to make pleasure to, my rose" - he whispered to her ear, holding her in his arms.

"Or you just know well how to" - she smiled and kissed him deeply. This time she didn't let him to take over the dominance completely, but he seemed to like it - at least his raspy moans made her think so. She wrapped her legs around his waist, climbed onto his lap and while holding onto his arm with one hand, her other hand slid down all the way on his toned upper body. His skin was boiling hot, his whole body was pulsing, she could feel it.

"Do you have… ?" - he gasped while helping her removing his jeans.

"Still on birth control, remember?"

"Ohh, sure… "

He turned her to her back with a quick move, and while kissing her neck a bit rougher, entered her. She moaned in pleasure as she felt him inside her, gripping his arms stronger.

"Fuck, you're so tight…" - he murmured against her skin as he started moving his hips slowly.

"Maybe you're too big" - she smirked.

"Got any problem with it?" - Robb looked up into her eyes.

"Never" - she whispered, grabbed his face and kissed him.

The world around her turned into senses: the touch of his lips, the warmth of his fingers entangled with hers, his musk-cedar scent floating the air, the taste of his kisses, his pulsing body pressed against hers… She couldn't tell when reached her finish, but she'd already been burning inside when he found his release too.

"Oh… My… God… - Margaery whispered when she curled up by his side, resting her hand on his chest. - It was… Indescribable."

"Agree" - he smiled, wrapping his arm around her small shoulders. He was still breathing a bit heavily too.

She dropped her head on his shoulder as he was tracing patterns on her back softly. Neither of them said a word, yet the silence felt calming and familiar. Soon their breaths synced, her eyelids were opening and closing slowly, as if she would fall asleep soon, even though it was early evening. She still didn't know what was it good for, but honestly she didn't really care.

"Margaery - Robb broke the silence suddenly - , I don't want to ruin the moment but I'm freaking hungry."

"You mean hungry as a wolf? - she chuckled. - But I get it, you're after weight training, after all. Would you like to stay for dinner? Take your time getting ready, I'll go and make something!"

 _If life offers us a date without you calling me, I make the odds to my favor._

"Ohh, okay, I'd stay gladly - he seemed rather surprised. - You seriously can cook?"

"See, I'm such a versatile woman! - she laughed, kissed him on the lips and jumped off the bed. As she was picking up some clothes to wear she could feel his blue eyes staring at her intensely. Once dressed in simple black leggings and oversize white tshirt she walked down into the kitchen. She quickly fixed her hair (her bun had loosened long ago) and with practiced, quick moves started making dinner.

Soon mouthwatering scents filled the room: in one pot rice cooking in boiling water, in a pan chunks of chicken and asparagus grilling, soused in citrus marinade. She occasionally mixed the meat and vegetable not to burn the whole thing down.

While keeping an eye on the pan she searched for some plates and silverwear and put them to the small kitchen table. A proper dining room would be way better, but she had to make the best out of what'd been given. She finished setting the table, she even poured two glasses of water when Robb appeared in the door, smiling and dressed.

"Ohh, something smells really good! What are we going to eat?" - he asked.

"Nothing special, just some basic fitness food - she answered, trying to seem eased but actually she was very proud of her skills. - Chicken breast with lemon juice and herbs, grilled on coconut oil, with jasmine rice and grilled asparagus on the side. I cook something like this almost every day. Ohh, have a seat!"

"Thank you. It sounds so amazing! And it's truly impressive you have time to cook."

"Preparation is the key, plus I really have to eat healthy to look like this - she shrugged smiling. - But I don't mind, I feel better when I eat clean. I think guys don't have to worry about it that much though."

"Depends on the person, I have some friends who are into this fitness thing very much, but I think I'm lucky, when I gain weight it's almost always muscle, so… I don't know, maybe being into sports since you were a kid is the secret."

"Really? - her eyes enlightened. - What did you do?"

"Lots of things - he laughed. - I'm English and male, so of course I played football. I played defender both in elementary and in high school in the school team, I even was captain for a couple years. I fenced for quite long, it's actually a family thing, me and my siblings all have been into fencing, except my sister, Sansa. But my other sister, Arya is really good at it, in fact, I think she's better than all of us. She and my younger brothers still do fencing, I stopped after 11th grade. Jon was the first dropout, he finished it in 9th grade, he wanted to concentrate fully on art. I rode too, but only occasionally, not on professional level."

As he was talking about his siblings, a warm glow appeared in his eyes and a relaxed, proud expression on his face that Margaery found extremely adorable and attractive.

"Sounds amazing! - she said. - I used to ride too, our family thing is riding. Willas, my eldest brother could have become a great rider but once he fell off of his horse on a race and had an injury so serious he had to quit professional sport. I stopped riding when I was around sixteen, then I found Pilates and yoga in 11th grade. As a little girl I used to dance ballet that I loved so I've even got the base for these two."

"Have you ever thought about becoming a professional dancer?"

"Honestly, not really - she admitted. - For some reason I've never wanted to build my career on something I can't control and after my brother's injury - I was around fifteen then - I knew I had made the right decision."

"Agree, I've never wanted to be a professional fencer either, even though my trainer said I could rise high - he nodded. - I feel like professional sport isn't for me, that's all. Hitting the gym a couple times a week, it's okay and I like it, in fact I need it, but having little freedom, training constantly… Naah, I rather listen to lectures about how to choose the right employees. Though when at home sometimes I practice some fencing with my siblings, because I still love it."

"Same. Sport is a hobby, a lifestyle, but not a career. I'm competitive in other fields. I wasn't the greatest rider anyway, I was good but not good enough to be a professional. Same goes to dance. Eventually we all quit professional sport actually - she continued without even thinking. It was so easy to talk to him as if they would know each other for long. - My brother Garlan was on the same level as me when he stopped riding and transferred into fitness at university. Loras, my third brother, was a very talented rider, but he's an artist… You know how it goes. Plus he's meant to be our next creative director, so it was kind of obvious art will be his way. However, I still don't really get why Thirrin quit figure skating. She claims she wasn't good enough, but I disagree with her, every time I would see her skating I would think she was made for the ice."

"As I said, professional sport isn't for everyone, especially if you're good at something that is a little more long term thing than sport. But I can see you're a sporty family too!"

"It's kind of tradition… You know, old family, old habits - she smiled. - Riding, ballet dancing, Wimbledon, balls."

"On country level, but I know the drill. Though balls aren't exactly our thing, luckily... But that didn't prevent my mother to make me complete a ballroom dance course when I was around fourteen-fifteen" - he laughed.

"Ohh, we did one too! - she exclaimed. - We needed it for the opening dance, because we had aaa, wait for it, debutante ball! I know it sounds silly - she explained seeing his expression - , but I have to say it was kind of fun. At least because of the gown, that was pretty."

"I didn't even know debutante ball would still exist… - he confessed. - My sister would love to go to a real ball, I'm sure, but I don't really miss it. Though all in all I like family traditions. They just… I don't know, show you a way you can follow even if you don't really know what to do."

"You must be right… To be honest I like them too. If you're lucky, a family guides you with love. I guess we should be grateful to born into such a caring family."

He nodded, giving her hand a gentle squeeze.

She served the dinner, but they didn't stop talking and laughing while eating. He was polite and entertaining, clever and honest, their similar background helped them connecting even more.

Despite some people didn't agree with her, Margaery strongly believed a long-lasting, trustful, well-working relationship could be formed only by two people who were on the same or almost on the same society level, unless they wouldn't understand each other in the long run. That evening was her absolute proof to her theory.

She couldn't remember any other time when she had such a nice, smooth conversation with anyone on the first date. Though she wasn't even sure that dinner counted as a date, moreover, she couldn't recall her last date: no details came to her mind, Robb managed to make all the memories fade.

After cleaning the table she made some tea, apologizing she only had green tea available, but he didn't mind it, so they finished dinner with her favorite Sencha flavored with different flowers in silence.

He suddenly reached for her hand that she rested on the table, took it while looking into her eyes seriously:

"Margaery, I'm sorry I haven't contacted you earlier. I've just had a breakup and I needed some space… - she didn't even think of questioning what he claimed, his eyes and voice were so honest. - Anyway, let me make it up. Are you free on Friday evening?"

"I think so…" - she nodded, waiting for the rest.

"Well then, I'll pick you up at 8.00 - he squeezed her hand, his lips curved into a nice, wide smile. - I hope you like surprises."

"I can't wait to find out what you have on your mind" - she smiled back.

Both stood up, he picked up his belongings and she escorted him to the door.

"Then… It's settled. Thank you for the dinner" - Robb said, his hands on her hips.

"You're welcome. Thank you for… The evening" - her small hands were sliding up on his chest to his shoulders.

He leant down to kiss her goodbye, gently yet intensely. He was holding her tight, as they deepened the kiss she dug her fingers into his soft auburn curls and for the first time in forever Margaery felt like her lovelife wasn't a total disaster.

 **A/N: I hope you liked it! Also, it's already chapter 30! This stuff is actually the longest story I've every written and I still don't see the end… I don't know if it's a good thing or not, but I enjoy writing it and I have many ideas for the plot, sooo… We shall see the outcome! :)**


	31. Chapter 31

For the first time in her life, Arya Stark felt completely confused. Everything that used to make sense turned upside down and she didn't know what to do.

The stupid kiss on New Year's was the reason of all the mess she found herself in. Secrets, lies, playing games - that wasn't her thing, yet she joined without even knowing how to control it. Secrets, because she didn't tell anyone what had happened. Lies, because she had to lie every time she was asked what she'd been doing on New Years - well, not exactly lie, but she couldn't tell the whole truth, and that counted as a lie. Playing games, because _he_ hadn't contacted her since that night, no call, no text, absolutely nothing, and she didn't know whether she should let him go, text him, or just approve that making out with mysterious foreigners is never a good idea. Plus for some annoying reason she felt like she had betrayed her best friend, which was obviously stupid, because she and Gendry were just friends and neither of them thought of developing their relationship into something more, right?!

 _Then why don't you just tell him everything and ask him for some useful ideas? Oh wait, I know why: he would kill him with bare hands without questions and he would get mad at me for no reason. Boys are so stupid_ \- she thought while she was sitting by her desk, trying to do her homework that she'd started like an hour ago yet hadn't written down any words yet.

Arya knew, though, that sooner or later she had to tell someone about everything in case she didn't want to go insane. The only problem was that the two people who she trusted would have made even more trouble. Though she wasn't an expert of such things, she suspected you don't tell your brother you hooked up with a guy who's even older that him.

 _Maybe I should write it down, they say it helps. No, that's stupid_ \- she changed her mind quickly. - ' _Dear diary, on New Year's I made_

 _out with Jaqen, the curious Catalan Erasmus student whom I've been seeing for a while ONLY ON A FRIENDSHIP LEVEL, and I can't tell it to my best friend because he thinks it's wrong to keep in touch with him, and everyone I know sucks at this guy/girl thing, so I'm telling it to a PIECE OF PAPER…'_ \- she rolled her eyes. In times like that could have been nice having girls as friends instead of boys.

 _I bet the annoying girls from my class would know exactly what to do. Or not, because they've only had stupid crushes, no real moves whatsoever… Oh FUCK!_ \- with an instant she realized the solution could be literally under the same roof as her... Maybe the first real sister/sister talk had been about time, now that their relationship had been normalized lately.

She left her room immediately and knocked on the next door:

"Sansa! I need your help!" - she shouted in.

"I won't write your essay instead of you!" - her sister shouted back annoyed, not even bothering opening the door.

"It's not that! I want to…"

"Then go away! I have to study!" - Sansa interrupted her.

"It's only first week of school, Sansa!"

"Well, I have university to get into, so can you do me a favor and leave me alone?!"

"But it's important! - normally she wouldn't have done it, but desperate times require desperate means, so she opened a door a bit. - I made out with someone on New Year's" - she whispered.

Sansa reacted exactly how she'd expected. Her blue eyes widened, her jaw dropped, she pressed her hands against her mouth to prevent screaming, jumped off of the chair and dragged her inside.

"Oh my God! - she screamed. - Arya, it's… It's…" - seemed like she didn't find the perfect words to express her surprise.

Arya had to do her best to keep back any sarcastic comment, she didn't want her sister to throw her out and Sansa was her last hope.

"NO ONE must know it, so lower the volume, please" - she only said as Sansa pulled her to her bed.

"Okay, my lips are sealed - her sister nodded and sat in front of her with her legs crossed. - Please, tell me EVERYTHING! - her blue eyes were glancing excitedly. - Like who was the guy? I suppose you made out with a guy, right?"

"Yes, I did, and it's kind of a long story…" - she sighed.

"We have the whole evening ahead of us!" - she insisted.

 _Like three minutes ago you were so busy with studying, but whatever…_ \- Arya thought but again, she kept it for herself. Instead, she took a deep breath and started telling her story:

"It has to be kept as a secret exactly because whom I did it with. Don't even try guessing - she made a gesture preventing any upcoming questions. - So there is this guy from Braavos… "

"From Braavos, Spain?!" - Sansa asked wonderingly.

"CATALONIA! - Arya corrected her automatically. - Legally it's Spain but in reality it's part of Catalonia."

"Whatever - she shrugged. - So a Braavosi guy who you met…"

"Back in December in a coffeeshop in town - Arya continued. - He's at the university, he's in England for Erasmus. I was doing my Italian homework when he came to my table and corrected what I'd written though no one asked for it. Anyway, he sat down to me, we started talking and… - she decided she'd given enough details. - Yeah, we've been talking since then."

Sansa nodded.

"I see. Could you show me a picture about him?"

"Okay… " - she quickly searched for a photo on social media, then handed her phone to her sister.

"Wow… - she sighed, studying his face, the bronze locks, the narrowed, dark eyes. - He looks very handsome. It's written on his face he's from Southern Europe. But wait… You went to one of your teammates' house party on New Year's, right?"

"Indeed! I wanted to continue with that. So I was at the party when he texted me I should go down to the street because he wanted to see me. I did so, talked about stuff, and when we heard it was midnight he kissed me, out of the blue."

"New Year's kiss? Dramatic. How was it?" - her lips curled into a curious smile.

"Uhh… Quite… Intense" - she managed to sum up her feelings towards the kiss. It felt right and wrong at the same time, infinity that yet could end in any second, a feeling built of millions of paradoxes. She noticed she had been slightly blushing.

"Ohh… Okay. So far it seems quite simple - she said. The very handsome Catalan guy, who must be in his early twenties, certainly wants something from you. Is that all?"

"It's not the whole story - Arya sighed. - You know Gendry, right?"

"You're asking like he hasn't been hanging out here since like forever."

"Whatever. So far he's been the only person who's known about Jaqen, which means you should feel very special, but most importantly he never liked that I… "

"He's been jealous, I get it" - Sansa ended the sentence instead of her.

"NO! - she protested. - A boy is jealous of a girl if he _likes-_ likes her, while we're just friends!"

"If you say so… "- she said meaningfully.

"Whatever. So the thing is that he's been super annoying when it comes to this subject, so I obviously didn't tell him about the kiss, and on top of everything I haven't talked to Jaqen since New Year's, so I don't know what comes next. That's all. What do you think I should do?"

Sansa's face darkened a little bit.

"If I understood correctly, from all of your siblings you decided to ask relationship advice from me. From ME" - she stressed the last words.

"Who else? I have three siblings who have experience in such stuff: Jon, Robb and you, but Jon would go into protective big brother mode and I obviously won't ask someone who managed to get himself dropped on freaking CHRISTMAS EVE."

"Arya! - she elevated her tone. -You're trusting MY JUDGEMENT? Do you remember last summer?"

"Of course, but…"

"And you still think I'm good at relationships - she cut in. - I never thought I'd actually say this sentence out loud, but I think you should call Theon Greyjoy, at the moment he's the best at relationships in the world if he can keep that living wonder of a girlfriend" - she sighed.

"Don't girlcrush NOW! - she hushed her. - Please Sansa help me! Like say something that's actually useful."

Sansa rolled her eyes.

"Okay but if it gets messed up, don't you dare blame me. I warned you."

"Okay… " - she sighed.

Some tensed moments passed until Sansa finally said hesitantly:

"I think… I think you should give a try to the Catalan."

"WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK? - she clearly didn't expect this answer from Sansa. - Then what about Gendry, what about…?"

"Arya, you asked for my opinion! - Sansa interrupted her. - My opinion is that you can take care of yourself better than I would do, he'll leave for good in the summer so if things don't work out you don't have to avoid him in town later. Plus you always say boys are stupid. He's not a _boy_ for sure, he's super handsome, and you wanted to hear this exact answer anyway!" - she added.

"No, I didn't!" - Arya replied _too_ quickly and bit on her bottom lip.

"You've been my sister for 16 years, we grew up together, I know when you're lying" - she raised her eyebrows.

 _Note to self: give up on chewing lips when lying!_

"Okay, so let's imagine I give him a try. How?" - she asked then.

"You know him, I don't - Sansa shrugged. - You have to figure it out by yourself."

She nodded, making a mental note to think about it.

"Again, what about Gendry?"

"What he doesn't know doesn't hurt him. Like you aren't planning on cheating on him, am I right?" - she pointed out.

"Sure, but… Do you think I shouldn't tell him? We tell everything to each other!"

"If I were you I wouldn't tell him. He's already upset about you talking to Jaqen, so maybe it's the best like this for now. Then, if it becomes more serious, you can share it with him, of course. However, if it becomes nothing, you can spare lots of ' _I've told you so'_ s, which can be pretty annoying, trust me. But I repeat: it's completely your business so it's only up to you whether you want to take the risk or not."

Arya nodded, thinking about her sister's words. Unlike her, Sansa was good at this game, of course she adviced keeping secrets. On the other hand, _he_ had something bloody attractive, something fairly new, something mysterious and a bit dangerous at the same time, and she loved risks and unexpected moves, that's why she was such a good fencer. Maybe he's worth it… New field, new rules… But you have to try new things every now and then.

"Thank you - she said then, lightly smiling. - Sometimes it's good to have a sister."

"Any time" - she smiled back.

As soon as she closed the door behind her, she took her phone and typed in a message, her fingers shaking of the bold move.

 _Una ragazza spera che l'ignoranza di un uomo sia solo per pure caso, non perché non abbia voglia di rivederla. (A girl hopes that a man's ignorance is just a coincidence, not that he doesn't want to see her again.)_

"Game on, mate" - she whispered to the screen.


	32. Chapter 32

Holiday season was already over, neither of them wanted to get back to reality, but some duties had to be done: Wednesday night found them in Thirrin's room, half-laying half-sitting on her bed, with their laptops open, surrounded by tons of printed pages. Thirrin was preparing for her upcoming business meeting, looking over notes and useful sites, Theon was enrolling for his courses of next semester.

He didn't know whether he should kill the person who sets up the schedule, himself, or he just needed to wait until exam period does the job: more difficult subjects than ever, crazy timing and on top of everything regular internship every Friday from 8 in the morning until 2 in the afternoon. He looked over his course list again then clicked the "Okay" button. A message appeared: _Dear Mr Theon Greyjoy, you've just took on 32 credits successfully. Wishing you good luck for the upcoming semester!_

He couldn't help but chuckle while reading it.

"What is it?" - Thirrin looked up from her laptop.

"My university wished me luck for my execution. I'll have a slow and painful death."

"Oh, then we'll die together! I'll be murdered either by Management Accounting or by Business Law. Or I won't even have the chance to begin the semester, because Margaery will kill me if I screw up tomorrow" - with that she threw the latest issue of Forbes to the floor, next to her notes that she'd taken at school.

"Why would you screw it up?" - he asked putting down his computer from his lap.

"Because I have no _real_ experience whatsoever in business negotiation, that's why. What's in my textbooks worth nothing" - she sighed.

"But you've already done internship, haven't you?"

"You know what I did during my internship? I basically worked as Dad's secretary, so I answered his calls and his formal business emails and I made coffee that we would drink while smoking in the roof terrace. So fucking effective" - she sweeped her hair out of her face and returned to her work.

He was watching her as she was reading. After all the holiday dressup it was a delightful change seeing a casual Thirrin again: tangled wavy hair shining in the shades of mahogany and burgundy, little jewelry (the usual thin silver necklace with the snowflake pendant, a big silver watch and the icicle-like bracelet she'd got from him for Christmas), no makeup, simple tanktop and dark grey slim sweatpants. Her extremely pale skin so thin he could see all of her arteries and veins clearly, her bones standing out sharply. Her chest was rising and falling slowly as she was breathing. Sometimes she typed in some words or moved her lean fingers on the touchpad: he noticed only then how skinny her wrists were, her watch seemed enormous on her arm. Such a small, slender girl who yet meant the world for him…

Theon could have never imagined himself loving a girl as much as he loved Thirrin. Looking back he could see some signs thad had predicted they wouldn't be just "friends" for long, but attraction and love were completely different things.

He had realized he had definitely fallen in love with her _that_ night, when she had revealed her past. He still shivered as he recalled the memories: how he was holding her, how he was caressing her, how his heart twitched and filled up with desperate anger by every sentence she said. He wanted to protect her, make her feel safe and eventually make her forget about all the horrible things that had happened to her.

" _Picture her as a promise. She's fragile, easily broken. But with the right support she's strong." -_ Garlan had told him when he had asked him about Thirrin during the holidays. He didn't want to bother her, but he had too much questions, he simply had to know more about the living demon who had managed to destroy her. He was lucky, in a private moment Garlan had shared with him some more details and had made him promise - or more like swear - to love Thirrin and not to crush her again, in a very older brother manner, but he tried not to get offended: he understood how much her family cared about her.

" _Thirrin had to learn how to hide her emotions so early. Too early. She hates when people feel sorry for her since she was a little girl, so when Aunt Aly died… She closed herself completely. She stopped smiling, but she didn't cry either. She would say the words everyone was expecting her to say, and that's all. You couldn't read her face, her mind, nothing. She was too calm, too still, it was frightening. A ten years old little girl doesn't behave like this. As she was able to work herself through her grief, she started opening up, but never lost her ability to closing down. That's why we didn't see what was happening to her - he had told him bitterly, hazel eyes glancing with self-reproach. - He managed to take her under control slowly but effectively. We never knew much about her relationship anyway, besides the fact that they would fight a lot from the very beginning but my sweet little cousin was so desperately seeking something different that she couldn't see what was going on, only when it was too late."_

" _What did he do to her? Did he rape her?" - his voice was dry and quiet, his heart pounding fast, his breath heavy, his fingers tightened around the balcony railing so hard his bones were showing as well as his veins._

" _I can't say anything for sure. I can't tell you she got brainwashed because when she finally opened up to the rest of our family last Christmas she told everything in a very objective way as if she had been reading a story. She simply... shut down her emotions. Anyway, she never used these exact words to describe it, but she probably was raped, at least a couple times, yes. I'll never be able to forget myself about all this fucking mess - he added, his voice shaking with anger. - I should have recognized the signs in time. When she definitely lost control over the situation, I had already been in Paris, therefore I couldn't do anything."_

 _Theon nodded, giving him time to calm down._

" _After all of us ensured her about the full support she started getting better - Garlan continued. - She still refused any direct help. It took her some more month getting rid of him forever. Again, I don't know how she did it but we didn't really care, we could finally breathe. But nothing was the same as before."_

" _Obviously, she was in a fucking abusive relationship!"_

" _Sure, but… - he sighed. - This needs an explanation. I'll be honest to you, Thirrin's always loved sex, which is okay, but an experience like this breaks girls so much they can't even think about even kissing someone. But my dearest cousin has to be the opposite, of course. Once set free she would hook up with literally everyone. How much do you know about our Braavosi trip?"_

" _Nearly two weeks spent drunk and doing it, and that's perfectly enough" - he tried not to sound too harsh, but even imagining Thirrin in someone else's arms made him extremely jealous._

" _Okay, because that was naughty. Really. It was no matter of age or sometimes even gender of what she was doing. I went with her to look after her, without me… I can't even imagine what else she could have done. For example I didn't let her use any drugs even if she wanted to. I think she wanted to pay back the world all the bad things, she didn't think about the consequences and whatever happens in Braavos, stays in Braavos. By the time she managed to calm down a little but still couldn't think about a new relationship, for obvious reasons. You're… "_

" _The exception, I know" - he nodded with a faint smile._

"Okay, I'm done - her voice woke him up from his daydreams. - I'm an intelligent, pretty, well-educated business woman, I can do this one way or another" - she closed her laptop with a meaningful move.

She stood up, put all the books, sheets of paper and her laptop to her desk, then she picked up a box of cigarette and a lighter:

"You're coming too?" - she asked, nodding to the direction of the balcony.

"Sure" - he searched for his stuff as well, put on his hoodie and followed her outside, keeping one hand on her lower back.

The air was cold and humid at the same time, something was drizzling, but he couldn't tell exactly whether it was snow or rain; their breaths could be seen, white like smoke. He had to pull up the zipper on his hoodie, but she didn't seem to mind the weather.

"Thank you for staying here tonight - she turned to him, taking a cigarette between her lips. - I won't be able to sleep alone now, I'm so nervous I can't even believe" - with that she lit on the cigarette, drew in the smoke with her eyes closed, kept it in for long then let it out with a sigh.

"Relax, Snowflake - he stood beside her, putting his free hand around her hips. - I have a deal for you - he said after lighting on his own cigarette. - If you succeed tomorrow, call me immediately and we'll get drunk and go out. If you don't succeed tomorrow, which I can't really imagine but who knows, call me and we'll get drunk and go out."

"Two nightouts in a row? What a frenetic lifestyle!" - she answered with a light smirk on her lips.

"There're three tough month ahead of me, plus exam period, I want to live as long as I can. So what do you say?"

"Okay, I'm in - she nodded. - Let's go out. You're right, I'll need to loosen up after this. Thanks" - she stood on her tiptoes and placed a soft kiss on his lips that tasted like minty smoke.

"We have a lot to recover on the party field - he smiled, pulling her even closer so she was leaning against his chest. Their hands were clasped on her hips, their breaths synced as they were smoking silently, filling the air with bitter, strong scent of tobacco.

Once finished neither of them rushed going back inside, they didn't want to break the peaceful moment. She carefully turned around, hugging his waist tightly, resting her face on his chest with her eyes closed while he was caressing her hair and back softly.

"You smell like summer - she murmured breaking the silence. - Like the ocean, the beach, like warm summer air. Maybe because you're a summer kid."

"Maybe - he agreed, placing a kiss on the top of her head. - Babe, you're shivering. Aren't you cold?"

"Just a little - she admitted - , but this feels so good, don't you think?"

"Thirrin, I love you" - he blurted out suddenly. She looked up with a little worry and shock in her ice blue eyes. He knew the reason: he hardly called her on her name, only when it was about a serious matter. She opened her mouth as if she wanted to answer but he didn't let her:

"I love you - he repeated -, and I admire you more and more every day. You're strong, you're smart and even though you want to make the world believe the opposite I know you have a big heart and I'm so grateful for you because I've never loved anyone as much as I love you - he felt his face burning in a deep shade of red. He'd never been this bold when it came to his emotions but he needed to let it out.

"Me neither - she whispered, her fingers entangled with his, giving his hands a gentle squeeze. - I love you Theon and thank you for being here for me in the past few month."

He only answered with a gentle kiss on her forehead, then he leant down to kiss her lips with one hand on her lower back, another on the back of her head, his fingers tangled in her hair. He kissed her like it was their very last kiss, hungry and filled with desire of protection.

He slowly started recess to her room, still kissing. With a gentle move he lifted her up by the waist, laid her down to the bed and returned to kiss her, this time even more slow than before while caressing all over her body.

"I love your hair… - he muttered breaking the kiss. - And I love how soft your skin is, how small your body is…" - he moved down to her neck, changing her smile into moans, but he went harder as well as he felt her cold fingers on his bare skin.

"I love the taste of your kiss… - she sighed, catching her breath. - And your touch, your hands are always so warm… Please make love to me tonight."

"I intended to" - he kissed her again deeply, sliding his hands under her clothes.

 _I never want to let her go._

 **A/N: Just some fluff but I kinda like how it turned out, I hope you liked it too!**


	33. Chapter 33

When she walked up from the station, soft, cold rain was drizzling from the dark sky. Thirrin pulled closer her coat and smoothened her hair, fastening her steps: before she'd spent almost an hour straightening her naturally wavy hair for a more professional look. She was dressed in all black: tight high waisted pants, classic blouse, short fur coat, leather bag and laquer high heels - though the soles of her shoes were red.

She wore few pieces of jewelry, all of them with special meaning: she got her watch from her father for graduation, her thin necklace with the snowflake pendant from her mother for her first figure skating competition. Next to her watch she wore the silver bracelet from Theon. Her white gold ring with a small white stone used to belong to her mother.

She kept her makeup and perfume light achieving a natural, yet flattering impression with matte earth tones on her eyes, soft highlighting and _my lips but better_ kind of lipstick. Only her nails were shining in a deep, dark shade of burgundy.

She looked at her phone one more time, rereading the messages she'd got while traveling to her destination:

 _TG: YOU GOT THIS, Snowflake, just be yourself. Already got the vodka to celebrate. Love you._

 _YW: If you don't have any better idea, just seduce him, no one can resist to redheads! Just kidding, no need for making trouble in the paradise, you can do this. May the Force be with you!_

 _MT: CALL ME when you're finished. I don't want to stress you but I've already scheduled a meeting with Daenerys for Monday, so PLEASE do your best! Though I know you will. I love you Thirrin!_

She smiled, locking the screen and followed her way to the Tower of Joy.

The old, enormous establishment used to give place to one of the most popular luxury bars in the city for long, but in the 90's the Martell family closed it down, because they wanted to concentrate on developing and extending the restaurants and hotels. The building was empty an unused for nearly twenty years, until Oberyn Martell invested into renovating and redesign the place, creating an exclusive Arabic themed oriental shisha bar. Soon the Tower of Joy regained its old glory, providing a special, exciting, new-ish experience to costumers. Bold move, big success - basically that's what the two girls intended to do too, so Thirrin strongly hoped the meeting with him would go smoothly, ending with a nice check with a big number on it. Previously when she'd contacted him, he had seemed interested in their project, that's why she accepted the Tower of Joy as place of their meeting, letting him play on his own field: had he not been fond of the idea, she would have suggested a neutral restaurant or an office. Though a place was designed especially for hot dates and nightouts in general, Thirrin knew the most successful businesses aren't born daytime in a minimalist office, more like at night, after one or two glasses of wine, over a dinner, or in their case, smoking shisha.

She was standing in front of the building, checking herself in the blurred window: she looked exactly how she wanted to: determined, strong and powerful, ready to restore one of the disappeared treasures of the UK.

 _We are in the same team Mr Martell. I'll make you realize that_ \- with that she stepped to the door and entered.

She felt as if she ended up in a medieval Arabic palace, only the bar made her believe she was still in the heart of London: rich ornamental decorations, lots of gold, shades of yellow, dark blue and deep red with some sand color and copper, heavy and extremely thin materials alternating, velvet, silk and carpet everywhere. Oriental music, overwhelming, thick, warm, spicy scent of oils and incenses, artificial lighting avoided as much as possible, scented candles in different sizes burning instead of them. In the booths there weren't any chairs, only big pillows around the small tables. A golden stair led upstairs, she saw waiters and mostly couples going up and down. The place was full even though it was a regular Thursday evening, young people sitting on the floor, drinking and smoking, causing light filter of smoke in the air.

"Good evening, can I help you?" - a young girl at the receptionist's desk asked her.

"Actually yes. My name is Thirrin Woodley and I'm having a meeting with Mr Martell" - she said, sounding as professional as she could.

"Oh, yes, I see. I'll let him know you've arrived immediately" - she was about to dial a phone number.

"There's no need for that, my dear. Miss Woodley, it's no nice to see you!" - a handsome man suddenly appeared and greeted Thirrin with two kisses on her cheeks that she returned with a little surprise.

She'd already met him before lots of times at different society events but she still couldn't believe Oberyn Martell was truly British. He had such a strong Southern - Eastern aura around him she actually forgot about all of her light eyes/blond hair preferences: he had black hair, olive skin, onyx black eyes and _that kind of smile_ that makes women's heard melt from the age of 15 to 85. He was dressed in all black smart casual, just like her, only he wore gold instead of silver. She couldn't read his face, though, she only could see he was wearing the mask of professionals, just like her, but the fact didn't bother her: she finally found an equal partner.

"Mine is the pleasure, Mr Martell, thank you for having me tonight" - she smiled.

"Sure, Miss Woodley. How do you like the place so far?" - he asked, his arm put around her shoulders.

"Congratulations, it's amazing! - she said honestly. - This is my first time I'm truly impressed, you've done a great job with even the smallest details."

"Well, I hope you won't regret having our little chat here. Since it's about a sensitive matter, as you said, I thought about going upstairs into one of the private rooms, what do you say?" - he suggested.

"Excellent idea" - she nodded.

"Good. Follow me, please! Oh, and I hope you still smoke!" - he added.

"Old habits don't go away easily" - she laughed eased.

She walked after him on the golden stairs. They reached a small hallway where he opened one of the many doors:

"Only after you, Miss Woodley."

The room looked exactly like the booths downstairs, only it had a door, therefore it was much darker, yet the vanille scented candles and shades of amber, terracotta and grenade with bronze details gave a warm, exotic look. In the centre of a small table there already was placed a tall, richly decorated narghile with two tubes along with two glasses and a bottle of red wine.

She carefully stepped in and sat down to the pillows, her legs taking to one side. She patted her shoulders mentally for choosing pants instead of a tight skirt or a dress.

He sat in front of her, poured some wine and lit on the piece of coal that made the narghile work.

"It starts getting good in some moments. Do you want to try it first?" - he offered.

"Gladly" - she nodded.

She took one of the long tubes, inhaled the air, the water softly bubbling in the bowl. Sweet, but refreshing taste filled her mouth, she felt the smoke floating her lunges. She closed her eyes, fully giving herself to the feeling. She let out the air with a long sigh, the smoke giving the room a soft filter.

"What flavour is it? I can taste something sweet with a hint of mint…"

"It's called Summer Kiss - he answered, letting out smoke while speaking. - It's one of the most popular flavours of our menu, that's why I chose it. Mixture of watermelon, peach and mint."

"It's really good. I think we can get down to facts. What do you think about our business plan?"

"Well, I've read the files you sent me, and I have to admit your business plan is excellent. Just out of curiosity, why did you decide to make your own way instead of taking part in the family business? - he asked. - I know the Golden Rose Inc's got big traditions."

"Margaery is a fourth child and I'm just a cousin, even though I was practically raised as one of the Tyrell children. In case of such old companies like the Golden Rose Inc. succession still works like 200 years ago - she explained - , therefore we realized we have two ways if we don't want to work directly to my cousins: becoming pretty IT girls, spending the days of our lives partying, attending charity events, traveling the world and being payed for existing; or finding our own way and have a business of our own. Since the previous one seems rather boring, only one solution is left."

"Well done, Miss Woodley - he nodded. - Now, you've told me on the phone you'd already found a possible client, but it's rather complicated. Could you please explain in details?"

"Of course - she took a deep breath. _It's your time to shine, Thirrin, do your magic._ \- First of all, everything I'm telling you is true, even though it won't seem that. So, I don't think I should remind you of the Targaryen scandal, you must be familiar with the smallest details as well. Therefore you must have heard that not all the Targaryens were murdered."

"Rhaella and the two youngest children… - he whispered in dry voice. - They flew to the USA with the family's private jet."

"Exactly. Mrs Targaryen and the boy are long gone, but the youngest child, a girl still lives. Not long before Christmas we found the girl… Or the girl found us. Her name is Daenerys. She's the very last Targaryen, trying to bring success to her family legacy. She studied fashion and design in New York, then transferred into Paris after her graduation. She spent there more than a year before moving back to London. She works with a small crew, they've only started reproducing the iconic bags with a little twist, all on a manufactural level, but the result is professional and worthy to the Targaryen name."

"Are you sure she's really a Targaryen?"

"Having this name is dangerous, even nowadays, we both know that, Mr Martell - she pointed out. - I can't see any reason why someone would use it without being born with it. Besides, Margaery and I are desperate beauty addicts, therefore we would recognise any possible colored contact lenses or dyed hair. I can prove my statement" - she showed him a picture of Daenerys, handing him her phone. She was prepared for this question so she had saved a natural, unedited photo. He was observing it for a couple of minutes while she had some wine. She didn't want to show how nervous she was in reality.

"Violet eyes and silver hair… - his eyes narrowed as he was looking at the picture. - For Christ's sake, she IS the last Targaryen. All in all, you decided your first investment is going to be the restore of House of Targaryen. You surely can play hard, Miss Woodley" - he gave her phone back with a smirk, but his eyes were serious. Thirrin took it as a good sign: he probably didn't thought the idea would be madness or impossible.

"What's life worth without risks? She's our big chance and we are hers. Though there is an obstacle - she started changing the subject to the main matter. - When we first worked out our business plan pattern, we thought of a startup, of a freshly graduated young designer, not of a brand with history, not of old glory to bring back. Money makes the difference, and we're not entirely convinced our financial resources would be enough for this project."

"So you want me to invest into _you_ , making the first Tyrell-Martell arrangement in the British history of business" - he summed up her intentions.

"History is the key word, Mr Martell. Both of our families had always had serious money in the House of Targaryen, that's our only connection point. This project is all about bringing back traditions: the world of fashion needs the House of Targaryen, the reminder of the golden age, the class, the beauty that blows everyone's mind from the USA to the Emirates. It's not just about us, it's about the future of Britain as well: Daenerys could mean hope for young British designers, that they don't have to move to New York or to Paris to have success. The popularity of London Fashion Week would increase drastically, which is good for tourism. That is your field. You see, it's not just about realizing some rich girls' teenage dream. It's also about innovation, about building future of our nation."

She waited for the reaction inpatienetly. Though she could sense she was winning she wasn't completely sure about it, she could still lose it all…

"If I were negotiating with anybody else, I would ask them if they had pre-written this speech before the meeting, but I know there's no need for that in your case, Miss Woodley - a light smirk appeared on his face. - Well, I don't know about your cousin, but I can see business is in your blood and you've been taught well too. Speaking of, I suppose your Grandmother knows about Daenerys too."

"She's the only one whom we've told about her. Now you may think why we don't ask our Grandmother for loan. Remember what I've told you earlier: we want our OWN business, which means we don't want to put into it any Tyrell money besides of our own, of course. Our idea, our project, our problems to solve, our victories to celebrate."

Onyx and ice blue eyes were looking at each other suggestively through filter of scented smoke without blinking. Her heart was pounding fast, her throat dried, though her face didn't reflect her emotions at all: she was smiling convincingly, hiding her fears behind the smile. Finally she could see fire in the narrowed black eyes - fire of chance, fire of trust.

"Perfectly understandable. My decision has been made: I will be your angel, Miss Woodley. Contact me for further details next week and we can make the deal inmediatley."

Mentally she sighed in relieved joy.

"Thank you Mr Martell, it's our honor! We'll call you and settle everything as soon as possible."

"Just bring my sister-in-law as much glory as you've imagined. And Miss Woodley… - he added. - You might have your mother's features and talents, but you'll be successful on your own, I can predict that."

Her mask of a cold business woman broke for a second. Thirrin felt her cheeks burning in light shade of red, her eyes fell, she took her bottom lip between her teeth in confusion, not knowing how to react.

Growing up she got compared to her mother more and more that made her proud, sad and angry at the same time. Proud, because she knew her mother had been a wonderful woman. Sad, because even after ten years she missed her every day. And angry, because she was afraid people would only see her as Alysone Tyrell's daughter, not Thirrin Woodley as individual. It was the first time someone actually handled her as fully herself, and she couldn't express how incredibly grateful she was because of it.

"Oh… Thank… Thank you, Mr Martell - she finally managed to say. - I promise you won't regret dealing with us." - she returned to her usual calm, confident, professional tone again.

"I'm sure I won't, Miss Woodley" - he smiled to her, exchanging a firm handshake over the table.


	34. Chapter 34

_It's another world_ \- Robb thought when he walked up from the underground and saw Mayfair at night. He had been living in London for more than a year and had visited it several times before, but there had always been something new to explore in the city - in his case, the beauty of the classiest district in the evening.

He stood by the pavement for a minute, admiring the fair-colored, simple but very elegant buildings and the vintage-looking lamp posts for a minute, then took a deep breath and sometimes checking the direction on his phone, continued his way to the girls' house.

He had been nervous since the moment he woke up that day: part of him was excitedly waiting for her reaction what he'd been planning, another part of him was constantly questioning whether Margaery was out of his league or not (he usually considered himself a quite confident person, but let's be real, your girlfriend dumping you on Christmas Eve in front of your whole family is NOT beneficial for your self-esteem), and a third part of him was trying to calm the other two down with mantras like _Don't fuck it up with overthinking_ (this last one strangely sounded like a certain ginger person). However, Robb still felt like he had to make up New Year's and the unexpected round of Monday ( _Cooldown sex after workout, seriously? It's real life, not a fucking romcom!_ ) by organizing the best first date she could ever get.

When he arrived it was exactly 8 PM. He ran his fingers through his hair, smoothening down his auburn curls a little bit (that always decided to live a distinct life) and hoping he looked fine enough in dark blue suit and white slim fit shirt, rang the doorbell. He got a little surprised, though, when he heard the noise of keys almost immediately - he had the impression Margaery would be the girl who made you wait for her, but everything fell into place by sound of deeper voice and appearance of messy red hair:

"Sorry, I've only got a 100 and no change, please don't kill me… Oh, is that just you? - Thirrin seemed actually disappointed. - Come in."

"Nice to see you again you too, Thirrin" - he said as they quickly hugged each other, then he followed her inside. After hanging his coat next to at least five different cashmere and fur ones she led him to the small, cozy livingroom and made a gesture towards a cream chair to take a seat. She sat to the couch between soft pillows.

He took his time to look around a little bit. The whole place reflected perfectly that two _girls_ were living there: warm, but neutral colors, quality furniture, everything clean and in their exact place, not just thrown to random places. The arrangement of the furniture and the decoration had an actual theme: all the home decor items were synced nicely in color and in material, from curtains to blankets, from plants to small objects on the shelves. The air was smelling like sweet rose and sweet mint at the same time, signing both of the girls' presence.

"Sorry, my ham-bacon-double cheese pizza should arrive in any minute and I'm fucking hungry - she explained. - Don't look at me like this, Stark! haven't eaten anything today, I just couldn't."

"Okay, I get it. Where is Margaery?"

"Since you haven't told her where you would go it takes her twice the time to decide what to wear. But I think she's almost finished. You're looking good, by the way."

"Thanks. You're looking… - he was searching the right expression. - Better than you looked in the morning" - he decided finally, though she still had dark circles under her eyes and basically it was written on her face she had partied through the previous night.

She rolled her eyes on that, but didn't protest. She asked instead:  
"How are you feeling?"

"Beside the fact that you two didn't let me sleep last night, I'm okay. Excited. I don't know. I hope she'll like this night."

"Oh, I'm sure she will. Mostly if you make last night equal - she winked. - Sorry, I'm louder when I do it drunk - now it was his turn to roll eyes. - Speaking of, has my boyfriend really gone out again?"

"Yep. We left together, and before you ask, I know it seems impossible, considering that in the morning he was almost as hangover as you. But it's a Theon-thing, he can fix himself fast, and I don't know how. Maybe it's his superpower He proved it last year during orientation week."

"I went out every night on orientation week too and I could recover easily too! But back then I didn't drink any goddamned absinthe, of course. Why did I think it would be a good idea? Oh wait, I know why. His accent becomes more Irish when he's drunk and I can't say no when he talks to me like that. Well, I hope he's having fun" - she sighed.

"He always has" - he returned her smile.

They suddenly heard soft knock of high heels on the stairs - on that both of them turned to the door.

Margaery entered the room in absolute consciousness of her class and beauty, he could see it in the glance of her warm, brown eyes and in her meaningful, but innoncent-looking smile that woke up the butterflies in his stomach.

Her soft light brown curls were down, only a few pieces were pinned back to keep her hair out of her face. She was wearing a simple, white, short off-the-shoulder short sleeved dress with a big gold and pearl necklace and a pair of simple nude high heels. She was holding a tiny golden purse in her delicate hand.

He stood up and took some hesitant steps towards her, but when their eyes met, he saw some confusion in her eyes: neither of them seemed sure how to greet each other. What do you do with the person whom you've already slept with more times, but it's your first date? Hug? Kiss? What kind of kiss? Finally Robb solved the issue by placing a quick, gentle kiss on her lips, putting his arm around her slim waist.

"You're looking gorgeous tonight" - he complimented her.

"Thank you, you're quite handsome too - her sweet voice sounded eased and calm. - Sorry you had to wait."

"No problem, really, but we should leave now, if we don't want to be late."

"Late from…?" - she looked at him questioningly.

"Nice try, Margaery - he smirked. - You'll get to know in like ten minutes."

"Okay, you won - she sighed. - Let's go then!"

"Have fun for whatever you'll be doing and don't come home early!" - Thirrin winked at them before taking her computer to her lap.

* * *

The taxi parked exactly in front of the theatre, so when they got off the car the first thing they saw was the enormous poster of the current play above the entrance. People have already been gathering around as they play would start in about fifteen minutes.

Robb was waiting for her reaction all day and it was absolutely worth it: her eyes widened, she gave his hand a squeeze in excitement.

" _Look like the innocent flower/But be the serpent under it._ \- Margaery whispered a quote in amusement. - How did you know Macbeth is my favorite play? I already love this night."

"Intuition, I guess - he smiled, but in reality he had to be thankful to a _certain ginger person_ for this information. - Let's get inside, shall we?" - he led her inside.

Actually he was very proud of himself for taking her to a theatre date: certainly something intellectual, gives subjects to talk about after, but more original than the usual dinner&movie combination.

"Just one question, how could you get tickets so fast? - she asked as they took their seats. - We've settled this date only this week."

"Well, my last name worth as much as yours, my rose" - he smirked. In reality he avoided as much as possible using the power of his name, but in emergency situations he made exception, and figuring out an original date in less than a week was definitely an emergency.

"Ohh, sure - she giggled. - I'm so excited, I've already seen _Macbeth_ a couple times, and the movie in autumn as well, but the interpretation changes by cast and director. It feels like seeing a new play every time."

"Well, according to the critics it's a really good adaption, I hope they're right."

It was his first Shakespeare on stage, but he decided she didn't need to know about it.

About the play, he had read it in high school, but couldn't really recall any particular detail, besides the actual plot, obviously. Literature and art subjects in general had never been his strong points, he never could discover any metaphors or symbols in the texts and never noticed the second or third meaning of words and thoughts (unlike Jon, who had surprisingly good sense to classic literature, too). But he figured after almost six years he would probably see the play from a more mature point of view, therefore he would understand more than at 15-16 and there was a chance he could actually enjoy it.

The curtains rose, the lights turned off: the play had begun.

He got lost in the story easily. The costumes and the setting was simple, minimalist, but there was no need for detailed, decorated accessories: the Northern, Celtic-inspired instrumental music made him shiver, the gestures and voices completed the job that usually the setting does, the subdued light and cold filter provided a dark, mysterious atmosphere not just to the stage, but to the whole room too.

He glanced at her from time to time: seemed she never blinked not to miss even one second, her face was glowing in the soft light, her eyes shining with tension and excitement. Sometimes her pink lips were moving softly: she quietly quoted the lines by heart along with the actors.

" _Stars hide your fires; let not light see my black and deep desires: The eyes wink at the hand; yet let that be which the eye fears, when it is done, to see"_

As he concentrated more on the text, he recognized some lines too, lines that used to be a task he had to complete: analysing, essay writing and not really thinking about their meaning, only following the affirmations of the textbook. But hearing them out loud in an actual interpretation, not just read them by a boy or a girl who didn't care deeply about the text either like himself in those times, those words made _effect_ on him, magic that art is supposed to do to you. He discovered the beauty of the words, of their rhymes, of the pictures they had painted. Though he didn't give full credit to the director for that, more like to Margaery. He reached for her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze that she returned with a smile.

 _Her smile is so beautiful_ \- he reflected. - _So graceful and eased like a French girl's… This is the smile that makes you believe life truly is simple._

He found himself comparing her to work of art: she reminded him of the famous _The Birth of Venus_ painting: the shape of her face, the color and texture of her hair, the curves of her small, toned body, her calm, elegant expression. Though he already knew the innocent face hides witty, curious and clever personality, but that only made her even more interesting.

In between acts they shared some glasses of wine while discussing the play, which felt such an _adult_ thing, yet natural and right. Margaery was easy to talk to, bright and open, and had the same effect on people around her too.

Time had been flying faster than he'd expected, soon they already were outside on the still busy sidewalk. That night even the weather stood by his side: there was no chance for rain or snow, it was only a little cold.

"It was amazing, thank you again, Robb! I hope you liked it as much as I did" - she smiled to him brightly as they were walking away.

"Of course! It was great, and you know, everything that I couldn't get at school makes sense now. Maybe we ought to read classics too early. Hey, I don't want to go home yet, what about getting something to drink?" - he suggested.

"I'm in! I know a near wine bar, they have this special Italian white wine that you must try! I'll show the way!"

They only walked a couple of blocks when she lead him into a semi-fancy wine bar, with small tables and elegant appearance. Normally that wasn't exactly his taste, traditional pubs had been more his thing, but with Margaery it seemed the most everyday place in life.

He let her choose wine: white, kind of sweet and mature that tasted like heavy cream, almonds and a hint of apple. He would have ordered that by himself as he preferred fresh, dry, a bit sour types, but it was delicious agree with her.

They had been talking still about the play, when all of sudden a question popped into his mind:

"By the way you're studying nearby, right? I guess Regents is kind of close. Ohh, sorry, I forgot: what are you majoring in? I know you're studying something economics-related, too."

"Commerce & Marketing, specialized in fashion marketing. Such an original choice for a girl whose family runs a jewerly company… But I like what I'm studying and it has to do something with my future plans, so in the end of the day it was a good choice."

"You have specific plans? Good for you, like really. Were our family business not be there as a secure point I wouldn't know what to do with my life."

"Have you ever thought about it? - she pointed out. - I mean, some other outcome."

"No, truth to be told, no - he admitted. - It was obvious since I started school that one day that I'll take over my father's place, that's why I'm majoring in Business and Management… But I suppose you know how it goes."

"Exactly, we're doing the same - she nodded. - I mean, eventually my brothers will become president, vice-president and creative director, in another words, the leaders of our company. It's known since we were little."

"Are you going to work for your family company, too?"

"If everything goes well, no - she answered with a little smile, her eyes glancing with excitement. - Actually, Thirrin and I have been… Are you really interested in this? Because I really don't want to bore you."

"Of course, I'd like to hear what you've come up with!" - he replied instantly.

"Okay. In short, we had this idea of developing new fashion brands by helping them with money and connections, and we gain some profit from their business in return, it's practically about pure investment, but a little more personal."

"It's actually brilliant! Simple, but brilliant. I can imagine how it works… Have you already made some headway?"

"Thank you - her cheeks turned light red that he found adorable. - We might already have our first client, and last night Thirrin succeed to earn some significant support, which was necessary to even start this thing."

"Oh, so that's why they went out last night?"

"I suppose. Though it isn't fixed completely yet, so I won't share any specific details, if you don't mind."

"Of course not. But promise me you'll inform me about it, because it's brilliant, really. Just one more question: how did you realize you want to do this?"

"Honestly… - she took a sip of wine. - I've always wanted something on my own, you know? Something I've created, something I can be proud of. Don't get me wrong, I love my family and I love what our company represents, but… It's not the same."

"I get what you want to say. Sometimes I feel like so too. In fact, sometimes I feel like I've never had a choice for anything else than business - his thoughts about the issue that'd been bothering him lately freed their way out. - I like this field and I love the family business too, but… I can't see anything so far that I could create myself. I've seen how things work in our company since I was at high school and I've already worked at one of the departments. You do have to come up with ideas every now and then but the majority of my future job consists only making sure that everything goes according to the patterns."

"Then create something new! - she said as if it would be the easiest thing in the world, yet somehow he believed her. - As soon as you find something you're passionate about it'll work like a dream. In our case fashion was pretty obvious, so right now I can't really say anything useful, but I promise I'll think about it. If it makes you feel better, my brother Garlan struggled with something similar, it's an open secret he went to Paris doing masters to figure his life out and now he's into the Golden Rose Inc. again."

"It's actually a great idea! I mean, one semester or two abroad. My original plan was doing internship at a random company, not at ours, just to see things from a new point of view, but maybe I should apply for Erasmus... - he was rather thinking out loud. - Or even making some new business that could be eventually connected to the old one would make sense… I don't know. And I've turned our date into a brainstorming meeting, sorry..."

"Well, that's the sign we're both passionate about it, right? In the end of the day, both of us are trying to make the best out of what's been written to us. Old families, old traditions… Like in the Victorian era…"

"It's not that bad… For example, you can wear a dress like this in public."

"Ohh… Do you like it?" - she asked in a flirty tone.

"Very much… " - he smirked.

On that he suddenly felt soft, cold touch on his inner thigh - she had kicked down one shoe and she was teasing him under the table, running her bare foot up and down along his thighs. Heat and fire of lust was growing inside him. He stopped, looked into her eyes questioningly, but he only got a wickedly sexy smile in return.

"I guess you're ready to go home, my rose" - Robb whispered, leaning so close only she could hear.

"Just as much as you are, my wolf."

Blue eyes met brown, their noses touched, they breathed in the exact same air as they were leaning closer and closer over the table. He could feel the tension vibrating around them - then he broke it by pressing his lips against hers. She responded quickly, following his moves, tracing her warm tongue over his bottom lip.

He carefully slid his hands up to the back of her head, pulling her even closer. At the same time he felt her fingers tightening around his arms. Her sweet, rose and peach fragrance hit him so hard he lost his mind completely. He kissed her deeper, their tongues fighting for dominance until he won. Her mouth was warm and tasted like almond and sweet apple, with a hint of something sweet and creamy that was probably the taste of her lipstick.

By that time he got so turned on he just wanted to get her right then, feeling her small body against his.

"Let's… Go… - she gasped, breaking the kiss for a minute. - Before we end up in the restroom."

He nodded, exchanging a lustful smile with her.

Felt like it was the longest car ride ever: though they made a silent agreement on not carrying on making out on the backseat, they kept teasing each other by caressing each other's inner thighs: he had to control his breathing, her fingers were moving so close, but she had to bit on her bottom lip too not to moan when his hand reached under her short dress but didn't touch her _there_ yet.

After finally arriving to her place, things got even more heated super fast: in one moment they were kissing hungrily in the hall, their hands discovering the other's body, while in the next moment they had already been upstairs in her room half naked, he was pushing her against the wall, her toned legs wrapped around his hips, her moans filled the room as he was kissing her neck with occasional bites.

"I want you… - he gritted against her skin. - I want you so bad…"

"You got me on New Year's, my wolf" - she gasped with her eyes half closed, her head leaned back.

He wrapped his arms around her for more support, carried her to the bed and laid her down. He laid beside her to one side, and while kissing her lips deeply he started rubbing her through the silk in slow motions with one hand and caressing all over her body with another. Her breath was just as fast as his, her soft skin burning hot, her kisses more impatient, asking for more. He took it as a sign when she bit on his bottom lip: he freed themselves from the last pieces of clothing and buried himself into her slowly, inch by inch.

Her body was pulsing along with his thrusts, he kissed her neck again, felt her nails scratching on his back, their moans became louder then turned into repressed, then free screams.

He kissed her lips rougher than before when he reached his finish. Very soon her whole body was shaking in his arms, her back arched against his hand.

He rolled off her to the side. She curled up beside him, hugging his chest, her head dropped onto his shoulder.

"Best first date ever" - she muttered in soft, sleepy, but delighted voice.

"I'm glad you think so" - he smiled.

"Do you want to go or rather stay?" - she looked up into his eyes.

"I would stay if you don't mind."

"Not at all - she pulled the blanket above them. - Thank you for tonight."

"Thank YOU - he responded with a soft kiss on her forehead. He sensed her breath calmed down: she was falling asleep in his arms. - Sleep tight, my rose."

"You too, my wolf" - she murmured with her eyes closed, pulling herself even closer.

He closed his eyes too, breathing in and out slowly, letting his fingers entangling with hers. Her calming heartbeat and spring-ish scent made him fall asleep easily too. The last thing that crossed his mind halfway between dream and reality was _How could she be so easy to fall in love with?_

 **A/N: I'm so sorry this chapter was a bit late, I like to keep up the weekly update schedule, but life happened... I hope you liked it anyways, feel free to follow and review!**


	35. Chapter 35

Deciding what to wear is a hard task. If you're about to have a lifechanging meeting, it's even harder. The fact that you've been into fashion since your childhood won't make it easier, don't even hope for it.

Dany wasn't even sure she had the _right_ clothes to make the perfect outfit for a business meeting. She'd already thrown half of her very limited wardrobe to her bed, but still didn't know what to pick.

She wanted to wear something that she'd made, she still had some of those pieces she'd designed back in New York, but those rather had a summer vibe with earth tones, soft fabrics and bohemian details: not exactly business - appropriate. Yet somehow she felt strange and not herself in sort of business attire, and she couldn't wear basics as the French girls, appearing very professional only in a white t-shirt and a pair of ripped jeans.

 _They should like me for myself, I'm going to wear this_ \- she decided finally.

She chose some taupe mid-rise skinny jeans folded up at the ankles and dark brown lace-up heels. Her cropped off the shoulder top was made of nude suede, had fringes on its long sleeves and geometric embroiders on the front. She plugged in some colorful handmade statement earrings and put on light makeup. A few pieces of her silver blonde hair were French - braided back, leaving her face free, the rest falling onto her back in second day waves.

Her final outfit reminded her of her days in New York, when she was free, when she studied at the design school, when she lived with him in Brooklyn.

She sighed, picking up a framed old photo from the bedside table:

"I know you're watching me from above - she whispered. - You've always believed in my success. Please help me making them believe in me too" - she placed a kiss onto the picture before leaving her bedroom.

The small flat they'd rented was only equipped with the most essential furniture, but at least she could sell the half empty livingroom as some sort of showroom. She was pacing around, occasionally moving the nine bags thad had been placed on the coffee table just to rearrange them to their original layout.

Dany wanted to do this alone, she felt like she had to show she could handle a business negotiation by herself. Besides, this time she wasn't afraid of being rejected like any other similar case, when she tried to get some investors. Margaery's voice on the phone was so sweet, gentle and full of encouragement that she forgot about all of her worries after one or two calls.

Yet when the doorbell rang, her hand was shaking hard as she answered the entryphone:

"Hello, we've arrived! - the familiar voice sounded like a sweet melody. - Could you please let us in?"

"Sure, come to the third floor!" - she managed to answer, pressing the opening bottom.

She could hear the lift moving, it was going down from the fifth floor, she believed. Third, second, first, ground floor. It stopped. Noise of opening and closing door. Up again. First, second, third floor. Two soft and two loud steps, echoing on the hallway - one of them was wearing heels.

Her heart was pounding fast in her chest as she opened the door in front of the two young women. As they entered, first thing she noticed that how _differently_ they looked in real life, though on photos they almost seemed twins.

The brunette was smiling brightly, her lips shining in satin pink and was dressed in light shades and fabrics: pastel pink cashmere coat, white sheer long sleeved blouse with a bow around her neck, light grey cigar pants and similar colored suede high heeled ankle booties. Her bag was nude with a rosie undertone, simple but quality lacquer handbag, probably Louis Vuitton, but she wasn't sure as the famous logo couldn't be seen easily. Her long brown hair was falling onto her left shoulder in soft waves, so her golden statement earrings were showing perfectly.

The redhead, however, wore dark and much more simple pieces: just a navy blue sweater dress with flat black thigh-high boots, dark grey woolen coat and the classic Chanel purse with silver chain and minimalist silver jewelry. Her dark wine colored lips and bold brows made contrast with her light blue eyes and snow white skin. She put her dark burgundy hair into a tight ponytail, giving full attention to her heart-shaped face and high cheekbones.

Dany glanced at her reflection in the full mirror, almost regretting her choice of outfit: compared to them she felt like she looked like someone who missed Coachella, but she decided to let it go:

"Welcome, I'm so pleased we can finally meet in person - her voice sounded confident enough. - I'm Daenerys Targaryen."

"Thank you for having us, I'm Margaery Tyrell, we've already talked on the phone!" - the brunette greeted her with two kisses on her cheeks that she returned, being raised in America it didn't seem strange her at all. The redhead, however, introduced herself only with a firm handshake:

"I'm Thirrin Woodley, nice to meet you" - her voice was deep and very calm, her face didn't reflect any emotion, just a little curiousity. All the warm enthusiasm Margaery irradiated was missing from her; those frosty blue eyes saw right into her soul. Dany took a deep breath, brushing away her second thoughts.

"Come in, take a seat and… - she gestured towards the white Ikea couch that came with the apartment. - I don't know, we can actually start" - she tried to appear as eased as possible.

"Excellent - Margaery sat down immediately. - Cute flat, by the way. Ohh, and these would be the famous bags! All of them are sort of updates of the old designs, am I right?"

"Yes - Dany nodded. - You might have already taken a look at the online gallery, so I suppose you're familiar with their names."

"Yes, we are. Nice job on the _Dark Sister_ \- Thirrin complimented with a quick smile, pointing at a small, black purse. It was made of scale-looking leather and had a big silver dragon clap. - It's time to bring back the one true rival of this Chanel. But ladies, I think we should start from the beginning. Daenerys, please tell us about yourself a little! How did you started your brand, how was the design school where you used to study, some plans for the future…"

Both of the girls looked at her questioningly.

Dany cleared her throat and drew herself up a little before getting to the real talk:

"I don't think you would know my school as it's a very small and quite new establishment in Brooklyn. It's basically combination of ordinary high school and fashion school on a very high level, and I was lucky enough, because they took me in actually because of my name. I re- registered the company about three and a half year ago, when I was seventeen, that was the time my team was born, though we lost some members through the years. After graduation I concentrated on rebuilding the business and again, with some luck we could move everything to Paris. We spent there the last one and a half year or so, and I decided to move back to London actually… Because I'd found you."

"Ohh… Thank you for your trust " - Margaery gave her an encouraging smile that she returned.

"Being the most simple first started with the bags - she continued. - I re-designed these nine, because I had their original sketches or I could recreate them from pictures, but I'd like to restart making clothes as soon as possible, and I'd like to launch the new versions of the other bags as well, but you might know original Targaryen bags are very hard to come by nowadays."

"That is a problem we actually can solve, but we'll talk about it later. I suppose you use faux leather."

"Yes - she nodded -, unfortunately, I know back in the days the Targaryen bags were famous of their fine leather material. I'd like to return to this idea."

"Or you could even keep the faux leather in some cases… - Margaery suggested. - Well, you have time to decide that."

"What can you say about sells? - Thirrin asked. - I already can tell you need better PR, but since you haven't had any so far I think it's great you still succeed to sell something."

"Yes, it's going slow, but we managed to sell some bags, the _Lyanna 2.0_ is the most popular, by the way - she added -, and all the costumers've had positive comments on the bags."

"What about the clothes?"

"I have my own designs, not enough to make a whole collection yet, though. However, I managed to keep those which my brother had made - his last collection that couldn't have been realized, so I might incorporate them into my own work. Next fashion week I really want to have my own show, here in London obviously. Eventually I'd like to launch a perfume too."

"Perfume, of course… Every iconic brand has at least one perfume. I could even imagine a high end makeup line, with matte black and red packaging, for example."

"Yes, and… - she took a deep breath. - Couture. You must know that my family used to have haute couture line too, I want to continue it, besides the bags and the ready-to-wear collection. After all, beautiful and spectacular gowns are always welcomed."

She held her breath waiting for their reaction: all of the possible investors so far would think she was crazy because she wanted to make couture dresses too and they would said it out loud too. Now, however, neither of the girls said anything like that, though Margaery raised her perfectly shaped eyebrows a little in surprise and Thirrin asked her:

"Have you ever tried to make something couture-like?"

"Actually… To get your degree in the design school you have to sort of launch a small collection. I chose couture theme, so I could

make three gowns, I still have them. Would you like to take a look at them?"

"Of course!" - both nodded.

She stood up, walked across the room and from a corner she dragged out three dress stands. All of them were covered with matte long fabric, the dresses under it couldn't be seen at all. Victorious smile appeared on her face as she exposed two of them, the green dress and the white dress.

"OH. MY. FUCKING. GOODNESS - the redhead's blue eyes widened as she saw them. She took a step closer to the green gown. It was made of heavy fabrics, had relatively wide straps and simple A line skirt. - This is wonderful! May I… ?" - she carefully ran her long fingers on the emerald fabric.

"It's made of brocade, the embroiders are handmade, and if you look closer, you must see the bronze details too."

"Jesus, it's amazing. I don't wear much colors, but I've fallen in love with this dress. Margaery, what do you think…?" - Thirrin turned to her cousin.

"It's so beautiful I'm crying - she answered, but didn't even glance at the green dress, her eyes were sticked to the white and gold long sleeved gown with plunge neckline. - I sense a little Valentino and McQueen influence, perhaps because of the lace, but it's still so… Original. Flowy, but elegant, effortless and that you've used golden lace and white silk instead of the other way around… Magical. Please bury me in this!"

"Apparently, there's a third one" - she smiled before exposing the third gown.

Seeing their reaction she smiled even more widely: the black silk strapless gown with huge textured skirt, ruby colored tiny stones all over the dress and red velvet details was her absolute favorite, and seemed like the girls were amazed too.

"This is… Oh my God, I didn't want to use such big words, but I have to admit it's a masterpiece… - Margaery's brown eyes grew wider than ever. - And black isn't even my color."

"And I have to admit she's right… You got me with this dress, I have nothing else to say."

"So you like them? Like you really like them?"

"Obviously! These could be the key to your success, we must do something with these gowns… Editorial plus introduciton, for example… - Margaery was thinking out loud.

Editorials, covers, celebrities and artists wearing her creations… For Dany it'd been only a dream in her whole life, but she realized this dream could easily come true with the help of these girls… Thirrin's voice dragged her back to reality:

"Okay, for me it seems you only lacked of financial resources, but that's why we're here. Speaking of, do you have any records about your purchases? Like when you got the essential fabrics, when you've sold something, anything."

"Yes, I actually made copies about everything."

"Could you give them to me, please? I would go through on them to see where we stand exactly."

"Sure."

She excused herself, went back to her bedroom, returned with an ordinary binder that she handed to Thirrin.

"Thanks, I'll be ready in a couple days. Also, I think your website needs a refreshment, too, would you let me update it a little?"

"That design was the best we could come up with, but I know it's far from perfect, so of course, thank you so much!"

"I'd like to handle the official social media pages - Margaery continued. - I could get them verified, and let me say I'm good at this."

"She's really good at this, enough looking at her Instagram. Mine is a mess, hers is just… How do they say these times… Goals."

"Really? Oh, the Ice Queen is being sweet… - they exchanged that kind of smile that only between sisters existed. - I have some ideas about PR as well, I think we should get the bags into magazines as soon as possible, send some to bloggers and models… Also, we should decide on the IT bag too. I know it might bring out dark memories, or you might want something else, but I looked up all the designs you've made and my choice would be…"

" _Lyanna 2.0_ \- she finished her sentence with a faint smile. - I thought about that too. Despite the muse who had inspired my brother to create the original version. But he wanted it to become iconic, and I want to make his dream come true."

"Good - Margaery nodded. - About your introduction to society, however… The most stylish would be Fashion Week, which is in about three weeks, so you would have enough time to prepare. I could get one more place to the Burberry front row as well as the after party. It's the biggest attraction, so we'll try to steal the show."

"Burberry? - Thirrin interrupted her. - But their PR is managed by… "

"I know, that's why I can get plus invitations! - Margaery cut her off. - I'll tell him to keep his big mouth shut, and he'll obey, trust me."

Dany didn't understand who the girls have been talking about, but in that moment she didn't really care. She'd never been to any good old European fashion week, and her debut at the Burberry show seemed like a dream coming true.

"Burberry would be fantastic" - she only said.

"Okay, then I'll take care of it. I don't know how much experience you've had with the press, but fashion week will be an amazing opportunity to watch and learn."

"We should talk about how to handle press soon, but I think you'll be able to remain strong enough. You'll need to."

"Of course."

Tensed silence fell to the room. Dany was watching the other two girls reading the screen of an iPad, occasionally typing in something, scrolling down or exchanging meaningful looks. For a moment she thought they could communicate without words, only by telepathy, the sync between them was incredible, like two half of one whole. Her trust towards them was growing stronger and stronger.

Finally Thirrin put the iPad back into her bag and turned to her:

"All in all, here's the deal: the actual design is your table, you can do whatever you want. But everything else needs to be discussed with us: PR, expenses, commerce, in other words, the business part. I'll go through on these pages and I'll write you a business plan as soon as I can. Then we can talk about your chances, but I already can tell you no one expects your return, so things are going to be intense. I can imagine quick success, but we might have to work more and harder, you should be aware of this."

"Here's a copy of the contract we should sign - Margaery handed her some printed pages - , you can read it through, when you're done, we can meet up with our lawyer and sign everything. Then we'll become business partners officially, so the actual work can begin. Building up everything you want takes time, but we can do it, I can assure you."

"We're giving you back everything your family lost, I promise you, Daenerys" - Thirrin gave her hand a gentle squeeze. Her touch was freezing cold yet gave her so much strength.

"I can't wait to work with you - she could finally smile relieved. - Thank you for your support in advance."

Unintentionally all of them glanced at the mirror. A brunette, a blonde and a redhead. So different girls with one common goal, like the protagonists of any kind of romcom.

Dany stopped believing in fairytales and in their modern versions, the urban clichés long ago, but in that moment her faith was returning - it wasn't there yet, but she definitely felt like a new chapter of her life had began that afternoon.


	36. Chapter 36

**A/N: Hey guys, it's been a long time! Writer's block and school aren't exactly friends… But I'm back, I'll try to be on schedule again and… I hope you'll enjoy this one!**

The girls have been trying to spend their last free week as productively as possible: after several more business meetings, such as brunch, coffee, afternoon tea and lunch, as much all nighters as in a regular exam or midterm period and the longest phonecalls a brunette, a blonde and a redhead were getting ready for a photoshoot in the studio section of London Art&Design School, dressed in gorgeous white, black and green gowns.

Making an introductive editorial wearing the gowns themselves with an article published in Tatler magazine was Margaery's idea and she was very proud of herself, because she could convince the editor to do it: the material would be published the day after the Burberry show that would attend in three. Tatler was the old money's magazine, therefore the readers would surely recognize Daenerys and getting into there was way easier than getting into Vogue or Harper's Bazaar. Fashion week was settled too, though Margaery preferred not to know how Thirrin had managed to keep Renly Baratheon away from any questions when she had asked him for one more seat in the front row.

She was aware of the obvious fact that they were about to create the scandal of the season, the sudden appearance of the last member of the long lost family must blow up the country. They could hide her successfully so far: the few people who had known about Daenerys' existence had to sign a secrecy agreement on not to tell anyone about her offline and online. No one hesitated signing it, Thirrin's ice cold glance made everything clear without words.

Since they wanted to do the photoshoot as soon as possible they had to lean on a certain ginger girl who found free place and all the necessary equipment, stylist, makeup artist and hairstylist in between two of her classes.

" _Ygritte is our miracle. Our Scottish, red-headed, over-honest secret weapon"_ \- Margaery looked towards her as she entered the studio. Ygritte was sitting on the floor with her legs crossed, her frizzy hair in a messy bun, she was exporting the previous shots to her computer.

Everything has been going smoothly so far. They had finished shooting the "professional" part in business attire - one of those photos would go to the cover - , her editorial look had just been completed, and Margaery was very glad with it: the splendid white and gold loose gown fitted her perfectly, her hair was falling onto her back straightened, she was rocking the trendy strobing makeup look with angelic highlighting and warm, neutral, satin colors. The gown got full attention by pairing it with some basic nude pumps and delicate golden jewerly.

Since Dany's look hadn't been completed yet, she walked to her cousin who was standing in front of a full mirror.

"It feels so weird wearing actual colors… - Thirrin was observing her reflection. - Oh, and am I looking like too much of a fantasy warrior princess or something? Like the only thing that's missing is a giant sword from my hand. 'Long live our Queen, Thirrin of House Woodley, third of her name, protector of the Highlands, the most beautiful snowflake in the North.'"

Margaery had to admit there was truth in what her cousin said: Thirrin's long red hair was curled and put up in a very elaborated way with bronze accessories and twisting braids. The richly decorated, heavy green gown, the lace-up heels, her winged eyeliner look, the big bronze earrings and the bronze hand accessory just made the effect even more convincing.

"Come on sweetie, you're looking fantastic! - she said instead. - Who has told to you that?"

"What do you think? - she rolled her eyes. - I sent a picture to my stupid boyfriend. But you're stunning too. Straighten your hair more, it suits to you so well."

"You think so? - her eyes narrowed. - Thank you. Wanna take a selfie for Instagram? Just to tease the audience."

"Go for it!" - she nodded.

Margaery took some pictures, showing their best photo face, then chose one and began editing it.

"Little more highlight, some filter… - she murmured. - Thirrin, can I ask you something? Why don't you smile more on pictures?"

"Screw you and your smiling obsession… - Thirrin sighed. - Everyone keeps telling me that… Just accept that resting bitchface is my go-to, like you and your marvelously gentle smile."

"She's right, you're less scary when you smile" - Ygritte closed her computer.

"You too? You're making me disappointed! - she replied half joking half serious. - Have you taken a look at the other pictures?"

"Yeah - she nodded - , they seem good, but I don't know when I'll have time to edit them. I have school stuff to do as well as some deadline projects, and since we're going to Winterfell in the weekend, I won't have much free time. Oh, speaking of, please Thirrin be more interesting than my goddamned ring, I'm sure Jon's whole family will be obsessing about our engagement and ask millions of questions about wedding plans… "

Thirrin just laughed, but Margaery couldn't keep back the surprised question:

"Are you trying to say you don't have any plans yet?!"

"I'm not you, Margaery, I don't have a wedding board on Pinterest since its launch."

"But at least some ideas… ?"

"There won't be any wedding soon, so I don't think I should start planning already."

"Why?"

"Sweetie, maybe it wouldn't be a problem for you and your Young Wolf, but a wedding is fucking expensive and we need to save some money to be able to pay for everything. We've already talked this through, we need to wait at least a year, or even until graduation."

"Okay, okay, I get it, sorry. But if you're interested, I think a woodland theme would be…"

Luckily the argument was interrupted in time:

"Hey, I'm here, sorry, my hair needed more time than we thought…"

All the three of them turned to the petite blonde who just entered the studio from the fitting room. Pieces of beautiful blonde hair were braided backwards in Dutch braid, the rest falling on her shoulders and back in soft beachy waves, but its texture was kept silky and shiny. She got natural makeup look with strong contouring and rose gold highlight, except her lipstick: that was dark red with a plum undertone. Obviously she was wearing the black gown that looked very good on her: she wore the dress not the other way around. The big skirt moved in a soft wavy motion by her steps, the lights gave attention to the ruby details. The gown didn't require much styling: a pair of simple black sandals and some golden earrings were perfectly enough.

"Dany, you look incredibly gorgeous!" - Margaery and Thirrin said simultaneously.

"Thank you, and you too - Dany smiled back. - Margaery, you look like an angel, and Thirrin, please wear more green because it suits to you perfectly."

"Okay, we get it, all of you are pretty, the guys have made amazing jobs with your hair and makeup, but we really must hurry, it's getting late and I don't want to use all of the studio lights, so let's begin! First I'll do the group shots, same poses as before, maybe a little modified because of dresses, then just Dany, then the two of you, okay? Don't we want to have some music too?"

"Yes, we want - Thirrin nodded -, here's my phone. Put on the _Glasto warmup_ playlist!"

"Stop showing off Thirrin! Just kidding, let's do this girls!"

Since it was their second round together the girls were in perfect sync in front of the camera, popular indie songs were playing from the small speaker. This kind of music wasn't exactly her taste, but she had to agree they had a certain loosening atmosphere, at least everyone seemed much more eased.

"Back to the previous stuff, every girl has their dream wedding, you can't be an exception!" - Margaery said while they were taking a short break in between two sessions.

"In fact I am. I didn't even think I would ever get married on the first place!"

"Okay, but still… Like Thirrin, what's your dream wedding?" - she turned to her cousin. She knew the answer - minimalist setting, white, silver and blue theme, music of all genres and Alexander McQueen dress with slim line and silver crystals all over it - but she didn't get what she'd expected.

"I don't know… - Thirrin's eyes narrowed. - It would be fun getting married on board, I guess, in the middle of the ocean… Like wearing something flowy and kinda casual, the captain, the witnesses and that's all, rum straight out of the bottle…"

"I sense lots of Greyjoy influence over here…" - Ygritte smirked.

"You can't say it wouldn't be fun! But I think marriage is a missing word from Theon's vocabulary, so…"

"Thirrin, you don't want guests on your wedding?!" - she interrupted her, her eyes widened in disbelief.

"You would be my maid of honor, you would be there, don't freak out - she rolled her eyes. - So you guys shouldn't break up before we get married if ever because I'm sure Theon's best man would be Robb. Oh, you don't know the details - she turned to Dany -, she's dating my boyfriend's best friend, who's my classmate"

"Or in other words, she's dating my fiancé's brother."

Margaery just smiled like it would be the most ordinary thing on Earth and mentally said thank you for the thick layers of foundation, powder, bronzer and highlighter, because she was sure under her makeup her cheeks were burning in deep red shade.

"Then you were right when you said London is a small town in reality" - Dany only gave her a gentle smile that she was very grateful for.

"You can't even imagine how small it is, but you'll see it in Fashion Week anyway."

"London Fashion Week is more insider than the others, literally everyone knows everyone - Margaery managed to continue her cousin's words. - It's good and bad at the same time, but I think we can turn the odds to our favor."

"Obviously we can. Oh God last time I was looking forward to fashion week this much was like in 11th grade. It's gonna be great, I'm sure."

"I'm gonna be there, it's obviously gonna be great! - Ygritte looked up from her laptop while importing pictures. - We'll get into the backstages with my fashion photography class, it's gonna be fantastic! Jon is coming too, by the way, with his editor - she added. - Front row, backstage, afterparties. He's winning at life, don't you think?"

"Oh, your fiancé is into fashion too? You must make such a nice couple!"

"Oh we do. But yes, he's studying here too, he's doing graphic design, and he's been working part time for Vogue as fashion illustrator. It's like an open secret he'll get a full time job there once he graduates."

"VOGUE? Are you serious?! When I was studying in New York I tried to get into Vogue USA for a stylist internship but they kicked me out in the last round of the job interview. It's so hard to get in there!"

"Well, he didn't do anything except drawing pretty things in his free time during his internship at a graphic design company's office. He's the one from a million I guess, who gets discovered by luck."

"So Vogue USA's HR manager sucks, seriously, you couldn't get in there with your name… That's weird. But don't worry, you will get millions of other chance to get into Vogue. I, personally, prefer Forbes though… - Thirrin stared out of the window with dreamy expression on her face. - 30 under 30 has been my dream since forever… "

"Who would have thought…? Fuuuuck, these look so incredibly awesome… - the ginger girl turned the screen to them, quickly jumping from one picture to another. - The whole concept turned out more Tumblr-like than I'd thought, but in a good way, like this one for example, when you're turned around and hold each other's hands, that's girlpower as fuck, sisters from another mister, the usual…"

"Ooor maybe you go to this school for a reason."

"Thank you. So, second round, Daenerys, are you ready?"

The blonde girl nodded and the other two walked off the set to an empty corner.

"Forbes, huh? - Margaery turned to her cousin. - Got inspired by Renly?"

"He's freaking 25 years old and he's freaking THIRD on the 30 under 30 list, as he didn't forget to mention it in every 10 minutes last night. Their PR section works like a dream, and it'll flourish even more, you know why? Because he's planning on buying it out from the family thing, you know, before it falls apart" - Thirrin lowered her tone.

"Thirrin, are you serious?!" - Margaery whispered, her eyes widened.

"Unfortunately, yes, he told me that too. It has many consequences, one of them is that we'll have a very significant concurrency."

"WHO THE HELL?!" - It was so hard not to scream. _Why does someone HAVE TO mess up everything?!_

"Margaery, don't be stupid - Thirrin sighed. - Same last name as yours, pretty, classic, boring designs, specialized in jewelry…"

"Oh holy shit… - she realized, the worst possible scenarios already playing in her mind. - He'll make a brand for Loras. He runs away from the sinking ship, which is pretty obvious, then he'll put a fortune into my brother's business and make him successful in WEEKS. He's the most talented PR manager of the UK, he knows everyone who matters, those people LOVE Renly, because who doesn't love him, right? Fuuuuuuck…"

"See, that's why my resting bitchface is useful, I wanted to scream. Let's be real, running under the Baratheon name has much more advantages than under the Targaryen name, even if you're a Tyrell, I'm Alysone Tyrell's daughter, and we have the Martells' financial support… "

"I don't care, we can do this. Once in a lifetime I can have more success than my brothers. I love Loras, I really love him, but I won't let him fuck this over."

"Keep calm, it's just a plan. But we know Renly, he's going to do it eventually, so I wanted to tell you as soon as I could. Let's survive fashion week, then we'll figure out what to do with the guys. I just hope only one bomb will explode on the Burberry show" - Thirrin added in a meaningful tone.

"What do you mean?" - she asked, though she already knew the answer.

"Please don't freak out, but Renly seemed very very serious for me, I can perfectly imagine he's already working on the buy-out. Since he's organizing the Burberry after party he can have the occasion to announce he's running the PR company only by himself now. That's not sure, I'm just guessing, but if you think about it…"

"You know what? - she interrupted her. - Fuck it. Those two can do whatever they want. We'll try to maintain a nice, professional relationship with them if all of this happens, but we only have to concentrate on Dany now" - Margaery tried to seem as eased and calm as possible, but deep inside she knew there would be a scandal for sure and she didn't know yet how to handle it. She'd never been in the centre of any scandal, which was rare in case of a high society girl like her. Thirrin, however, had already gone through on nasty things, but still had a solid reputation, so she put all of her hope in her cousin. _Though drinking champagne straight out of the bottle in the middle of the street when you're only sixteen isn't exactly the same thing as resurrecting a liquidated company._

"Of course. Growing Strong, remember? - Thirrin squeezed her hand encouraging. - Growing Strong by Fire and Blood, in this case."

"That's good, something like this could be the title of this editorial, don't you think?" - she finally smiled at her.

"Yeah, you're right… When are we doing the interview?"

"I'll call them tomorrow and let you know the details."

"Thanks. Hey, I'm sorry I can't stay in London for the weekend, I know it would be important, but…"

"No, it's okay - Margaery hushed her gently, though she secretly wished she was the one who gets introduced to Robb's family in the weekend. - At least I'll know what to expect if Robb takes me home."

"I love you Margaery, I can't say it enough times - Thirrin hugged her quickly. - I'll inform you about everything, and if it makes you feel better, I'm kinda nervous. You know, for them I'm still perfect Alysone Tyrell's daughter, they must have very high expectations towards me."

"Come on Thirrin, that's our superpower, people like us instantly!"

"Hmm, true… Look, Dany's so beautiful… She's happy. Probably after a long time."

"You must be right… - she agreed. - We know so little about her past… We should get to know her better, don't you think? I mean, not

just on a business level. That way we could work together more effectively."

"Excellent idea. Take her to brunch in the weekend, or a walk in the city, it's supposed to be sunny, surprisingly, so do something fun and have some chitchat. You're good at this and I'm sure she would appreciate it a lot."

"Okay, then I'll tell you about everything."

"Deal" - they exchanged a smile.

Thanks to the millions of society and family events they already had experience how to look like the perfect girlpower duo, so they finished relatively quickly with their round. The photoshoot - eve if it wasn't completely professional - was a real success.

After making sure that even the raw material is very much publishing-ready and saying thank you to each other million times, the girls left to change, but Margaery stayed.

"Hey, khm… Can I talk to you for a second?" - she asked Ygritte who was about to clean up the studio.

"Sure, go ahead" - she nodded.

"Sooo… It's about… Robb. And me. If that exists."

"Thought you'd bring it up eventually, I actually wanted to ask what's up with you two. But why me, not Thirrin?"

"It's kind of… complicated" - she managed to say.

"Complicated? - she raised her eyebrows. - Why would it...? Wait, I know, it's about Robb and you, everything must be complicated that is very simple in reality."

"It IS complicated! - she insisted. All of her doubts that she'd managed to suppress found their way out. - We've already had three dates, we're actually dating tonight, we won't meet in the weekend only because he goes home, but we get along perfectly, yet he hasn't asked me to..."

"To be his girlfriend? Jesus, of course you get along Lady Overthinker… - she rolled her eyes. - He just doesn't want to go that fast after what happened on New Year's, that's all. Then, if you think about it, few weeks passed since his breakup and let's admit, you need some time to recover from a relationship which lasts almost a year, even if that was about the three of them: Jeyne, Robb and the anatomy textbook…"

Margaery took a deep breath to answer but halfway she had to admit it was a logical explanation.

"Look - she continued -, I know him pretty well, considering that he and his brother share some very important features... I'm sure he's just trying to learn from that fucked up relationship he had. For example one of his mistakes was introducing Jeyne to his family after like two weeks of dating. I was introduced after a month, we had even moved together already. Anyway, what I'm trying to say is that he takes your thing very seriously, you don't need to worry at all. Just have fun tonight, eventually you'll get together officially."

"It's not just about this… Can you keep a secret?"

"I'll try. Wait, let me guess. Thirrin and Robb, am I right?"

"Are you seeing my thoughts? But… It's just so fucking frustrating, knowing that he had a crush on my best friend, my cousin, my soulmate, who looks like me a lot, and I've asked myself a million times, what if he had sex with me that night because I reminded him of Thirrin and..."

"Okay, before you continue rambling, I have to ask you something. How does he call you while having sex?"

"Excuse me?!" - she raised her eyebrows.

"Look, I don't want to sound rude, so please just answer, okay?!"

"Ooooohh… - Margaery suddenly understood what her friend was thinking of. - I get where you are going with this… So if we're thinking of the same thing, my answer is no, never."

"Then get this stupid thought out of your pretty head, possibly right now. You need to know something - she looked straight into her eyes, and Margaery couldn't help but realize how many shades of blue exists when it comes to someone's eyes. Robb had bright sky blue eyes with a strangely warm undertone, Thirrin had light ice blue eyes, while Ygritte had grey-ish blue eyes, like the color of cloudy sky. - Getting close, I mean really close, to a Stark is never easy. They have such strong family bounds that few people have. Their sigil is a wolf for a reason: they're a pack, protecting each other and not letting in strangers. It's true individually as well as together. The fact that I've got accepted very quickly is amazing, almost unbelievable - though Jon is a different case, he's always been the outcast. But Robb is the firstborn, the heir, like we would be still in the fucking Middle Ages… Anyway the expectations towards him are much bigger. Not that you wouldn't fit in. Solid family name, solid major, nice appearance, nice words… Now the thing is that Jeyne had all of these too, yet she ruined their Christmas… So Robb is obviously more careful. Look, for your sake, stop overthinking it. I have to tell you you're far better than Jeyne, not just because you have a life and all, and Robb knows it too. About him and Thirrin, their relationship will remain platonic,. His best friend is madly in love with her, after all, and I believe in friendship between man and woman anyway."

"Really?" - Margaery started to relieve a little.

"Yeah, actually 90% of my friends are guys - she shrugged. - Usually less drama."

"Then I understand why you've never imagined your future wedding."

"We've started making a playlist if that makes you happy."  
On this both of them bursted out laughing.

 _Redheads and me in general has become officially a thing._


	37. Chapter 37

Thirrin had a feeling the weekend spent in Oxford at Robb's family must be a very exciting and interesting experience, but she didn't know that would already begin on the way during the car ride. First of all, due to the enormous traffic and an accident in the highway the normally 1,5 hours long journey turned to a 3 hours long one. Thirrin herself didn't care about it much, while sitting in the traffic she just opened her laptop and continued working on the webshop design, but still managed to reflect on everything that had happened. First: due Robb being overprotective car owner no one was allowed to smoke in his fancy, elegant Audi, that was manageable but a little frustrating, plus increased the general tension. Second: for some reason Theon and Jon didn't get on well, though she couldn't find out the reason yet. Third: Theon had excellent music taste and even better navigation skills (he had found a route that's why they could get out of the city on the first place), but his driving style was too reckless and Mediterranean to basically everyone's taste (since Robb had returned to the Northern Zone early in the morning, he didn't want to risk driving after few hours of sleep, and besides him Theon was the only one who had a driving licence).

"I can't believe somebody let you pass a driving test - Jon said when they stopped at a gas station in the middle of the countryside for a coffee&smoke break. - The way you overtake others… Fucking irresponsible in my opinion."

"Everyone's alive including you, so get over it, Stark - Theon blew out the smoke. - If I weren't here, you would be still stucked in the Northern Zone."

"I wouldn't mind that, honestly… You won't get fricking questions about nonexistent wedding plans… - Ygritte sighed. - Speaking of, what are you going to say when they ask anything?" - she turned to Jon.

"That we'll get married only after graduation, therefore we haven't planned out anything yet."

"And you seriously think that will be enough - she raised her eyebrows. - You're so naive sometimes, Jon… "

"I'll steal the show if you want to - Thirrin suggested. - I'll talk about how I love going to the Royal Business, how I want to be as a great business woman as my Mom was, how Theon and I met and how we developed our relationship… "

"Snowflake - Theon interrupted her with a light smirk on his face -, we met in a bar and after like one hour of flirting ended up fucking through the night. I don't think you should share this at the dinner table."

"I can say it prettier, it's called marketing. I have a whole class about it at school."

"Say whatever you want Thirrin, just do it."

"Deal, but don't you think that's too much Scarlett O'Hara? You know, _I can't think about that today, I'll think about that tomorrow._ "

"I'm not taking it as insult only because no one has compared me to Scarlett O'Hara before."

"Guys, if you finished destroying your lunges we might be on the way again, don't you think?" - Robb got back to them with a cup of coffee.

"Your fault, bro - Jon shrugged. - If you let us smoke while sitting in the traffic… "

"You can do whatever you want in YOUR car - he hushed him. - Anyway, I talked to Mom, she asked if we were alright, you know, because of that accident. Also, she said she she had to go to run errands, but she left us some pie for lunch. Have I missed something?"

"Not exactly, we discussed how your future sister-in-law will avoid the W subject."

"What…? Oh, okay. Also, for that matter - he took a deep breath. - I'd be very grateful if you didn't mention that I'm dating Margaery. The whole thing is quite new and we haven't established anything so far, so… Please."

"Sure - Jon nodded. - Right, love?"

"Why are you looking at me like this? - Ygritte rolled her eyes. - Deal Stark, but in return please don't mention anything that could be connected to a wedding."

"I'll be very careful. You two?"

"Robb, please… - Thirrin sighed. - I obviously won't say a word. As far as I know no one knows about you in my family either."

"They'll notice you're looking better, like someone whose sexual life isn't a disaster... "

"THEON!"

"Okay, I'll shut up."

"Thank you. Now let's go, shall we?"

All got back into the car and continued their way to Oxford, this time a little more slowly, not in the edge of violating the highway code. Few words had been exchanged during the journey: someone would ask for a new song, or hush Theon to stop singing along with the radio.

Thirrin opened her laptop again and got back to her work, but closed it down as soon as they reached Oxford. The town had the typical British countryside vibe that she adored even though she was a big city girl, the country always reminded her of her childhood. She was staring out of the window as they were driving through the main street, in the end they turned to the left, drove a little further until they reached the gates of old, enormous, massive mansion. The house had strong historic vibes all over, she could sense it'd been passing by generations to generations just like Highgarden. However, it had a much darker appearance with the dark grey walls, Victorian windows and darkened roof that originally must have been some sort of burgundy, but the passing years turned it almost black.

"Oh my God, you live in a freaking CASTLE!" - she exclaimed.

"As if YOU wouldn't live in a castle - she could see Theon in the mirror as he was rolling his eyes at her. - Robb, how do I open the gate?"

"Simply go forward slowly, it's supposed to open automatically."

Theon nodded, carefully approached the tall wrought iron gate that really opened itself without any problem, so he could easily set the car into the garage, which was a relatively new establishment, compared to the mansion.

All got out of the car and walked through the sidewalk to the front door, Robb opened it with a quite large key, then they entered the hall. The first thing Thirrin noticed was the scent of the room, it smelled like _a home_ : mixture of different perfumes, scent of freshly made food, tea, and the typical scent of old houses. Again, she found herself comparing Winterfell to Highgarden: even after almost ten years of living there she never felt a specific _home-scent,_ she only could distinguish all kinds of perfumes everyone was using. The setup had been consisted of dark wooden furniture and a small, elegant chandelier that enlightened the room, giving a warmer atmosphere.

Her eyes wandered around while she was taking off her coat and her scarf. As far as she could guess, one archway to the left lead to the kitchen while another in front of her into the livingroom. On her right side there was a massive wooden staircase. For some mysterious reason she had a feeling she _needed_ to go upstairs.

"Robb, may I look around a little? - she asked. - Only if you don't need me while making lunch."

"Oh sure - he nodded. - We'll call you when lunch is ready."

"Okay, thanks" - she gave him a quick smile and immediately walked upstairs.

She reached a long hallway, she counted at least ten doors by first sight, she guessed the bedrooms and bathrooms must have been here. Thirrin had this habit of discovering others' home by sneaking into their rooms. She randomly opened a door in front of her and glanced inside: the interior looked like a nice hotel room in her opinion: a double bed, a drawer and a small glass table, everything in a warm, neutral theme with beige, sand and brown colors. _It must be a guestroom or something._

The room next to the previous one was definitely a boy's room. Flag of a fencing team, cups and medals, most of them gold. A nice, thin sword on the wall, next to it a picture of an all-boys team. She stepped closer and inmediately noticed a soon-to-be-handsome, messy auburn-haired boy with glorious smile and blue eyes. _Younger version of Robb with bigger self-esteem. He must be Rickon._

The owner on the other room on the right, however, must have been a girl, but she only could guess it by the clothes thrown to the bed: workout gear in every possible color, ripped jeans, fashionable Tumblr-teenager tops. There was a fencing sword here, too, as well as the cups and medals, plus another big award with the inscription _Arya Stark, best athlete of 2014/15._ On her study desk she recognized the French textbook she used to have in high school, too.

The next room seemed surprisingly empty and abandoned, as if no one lived there anymore. She was right: based on the drawings on the walls, which were completely covered by them, she guessed it was probably Jon's room. She'd suspected he'd been just as a fantastic artist as he was claimed to be, but now she could see it with her own eyes: those drawings - sketches of gorgeous clothes, details of human face and hands, doomy and dark sceneries, all of them black and white, made with coal, ink or graphite - irradiated an outstanding, melancholic, sophisticated and somehow superior atmosphere. _He was freaking born to high fashion. He easily could be a designer. Maybe we could have invested into him instead of Daenerys, that would have been way easier._

In front of his room there was Robb's old room, she recognized his style instantly as she'd been spending the past few month in his flat back in London. He had team photos on the wall (fencing and football), as well as the awards - _Huh, this family is really into sports! -_ , plus a richly decorated high school graduation certificate hanging on the wall: _Robb Stark, best student, best athlete, 2013/14,_ next to a red, signed football jersey _Such a typical English thing, being obsessed with David Beckham. Not surprising though, Robb is a Manchester United kinda guy. Also, note to self: text Margaery to organize a quick weekend trip to Manchester._

In the next room she didn't even get surprised by the sight of fencing sword (being former athlete herself she guessed quickly that all of them must have at least two swords, one for training and another for competitions, as she used to have more pairs of ice skates), medals and team picture, but she also noticed the quite large amount of books on the shelves, next to the bed, on the desk, school and non-school related ones too. She stepped closer to the team photo, and after some minutes she found another auburn-haired, blue-eyed boy. _So he's Bran._

Finally, the last room must have belonged to a girl: bright walls, fairylights on the headboard of the double bed, framed motto over the bed (Porcelain, Ivory, Steel, the words put under one another). Pictures on the other wall, taken of a pretty redhead and a similar pretty brunette. The desk was completely covered by large books: history, literature, math, sociology. _She's preparing for high school finals. That's Sansa's room._

Thirrin almost turned around to go back downstairs, but noticed another half open door.

As if some invisible force would have dragged her inside, she pushed it in and entered the room. She knew at first sight that room was used as a storage - the dressers, the open boxes full of objects, the piles of wrinkled and faded magazines, the dress racks with gorgeous clothing items hanging on them made it perfectly clear. All of them must have belonged to a girl like her, someone with good fashion sense and good position in high society. She stepped closer, carefully running her fingers on the quality fabrics. Most of the dresses were either grey, blue, or white. Out of curiosity she randomly checked a tag: she expected Chanel or Yves Saint Laurent, but her heart skipped a beat when she saw the three-headed dragon and the Targaryen-inscription, written in elegant, simple font.

She left the dresses, instead she walked to the dresser: a framed, large photo had been leaned against the wall on top of it and she wanted to take a closer look. It was taken of a girl in front of a white wall. The girl had long, dark, beachy waved hair and creamy skin. She was sitting on the floor with her slim legs crossed, with a burning cigarette in her left hand, wearing high waisted shorts, simple white top and oversized denim jacket. On top of her head she wore a flower crown, braided from blue roses. Her face had the stereotypical high fashion features: dark, bold eyebrows, defined jawline, high cheekbones, full, but kind of pale lips shaping O as she was blowing out the smoke, yet Thirrin found her grey eyes the most captivating. She irradiated something wild, something free, something reckless that made her different from an ordinary model.

"She's Aut Lyanna" - she suddenly heard a female voice behind her.

Thirrin turned around as if she was caught in the act - she had a feeling she hadn't been really allowed to enter this room.

A young, tall girl was standing in the door. Based on her simple, elegant outfit and the fact that she was carrying a large leather handbag she must have arrived home recently. She had pale skin, long auburn hair, high cheekbones and beautiful sky-blue eyes.

"She's so beautiful, isn't she?" - the girl continued.

Thirrin slowly nodded.

"She is. The door was open, by the way - she added, just to be on the safe side. - Ohh, I'm Thirrin Woodley, nice to meet you" - she offered her hand towards her. Since the infamous Lyanna Stark had a very significant role in the falling of the previous Targaryen generation, both Thirrin and Margaery wanted to know more about her, and Thirrin hoped Robb's sister might have something interesting to share.

"Sansa Stark - the redhead squeezed her hand gently and kissed her cheeks. Her perfume smelled like vanille, lemon and fresh flowers. - Mine is the pleasure. You're looking so gorgeous in real life too!"

"Thanks for calling this gorgeous - Thirrin smiled back, referring to her "lazy day on its finest" look that's been consisted of oversized taupe knitted sweater, black skinny jeans and messy hair that was curlier than usual thanks to the previous day's elaborated updo. - You're really as pretty as Robb said. I love your bag, is it from Topshop?"

"Yes, I've just got it a few weeks ago! - she replied enthusiastically. - After Christmas we went shopping in London and it was so amazing, I love shopping in the city!"

"Who doesn't? So she's your late aunt… I know she was a top model in the '90s."

"Yes, that's actually a Vogue cover shot, but she was a Chanel girl too, for example, she was the face of the Coco Mademoiselle perfume. Beautiful, willful and dead before her time. That's what Dad used to say about her. She died so young, she was less than 25."

"How did she die?"

"I don't know. She died in a hospital in Scotland, that's sure, but I don't know how. No one knows."

"Curious... A celebrated young model's life must have been an open book…"

"The only mystery about her is exactly her death. Other than that, her life really was an open book. She got discovered when she was around sixteen. She worked with many famous brands, the designers loved her even though she was a rebel."

"Sex, drugs, rock 'n roll… Just the usual '90s vibe. I also heard she practically ended Rhaegar Targaryen's marriage causing a huge scandal…"

"True. The scandal was even double, because… - Sansa hesitated a little before continuing. - She cheated on someone, too, when they started their affair. Aunt Lyanna had dated Dad's college best friend, then she left him for Rhaegar. I can understand her, he was such a gorgeous man, after all!"  
With that Sansa pulled a picture out of the drawer taken of a couple at a press event. Both of them were attractive in a person of fashion way, that superior beauty that Thirrin knew all of her life. The girl was the same as on the large photo, but that time she looked more chic and sophisticated. She was wearing a short light blue dress with silver sandals, while the man was dressed in all black, which made contrast with his platinum blonde hair and violet eyes. He was _beautiful_ \- his face reminded her of an ancient god, calm and powerful with a hint of melancholy in his eyes. She saw some resemblance with him and Dany, but his sister seemed more vivid, there was definitely more fire in her. As for the eternal calmness and that doom in his eyes, those seemed her familiar too, she just couldn't tell in whom she'd already seen them.

"Some people loved them together - Sansa continued. It was so easy making her talk. People used to open up to Thirrin easily anyway, under her cold surface there was something in her that made others trust in her instantly. - Others thought they had made a terrible mistake."

"Which one is the truth?" - Thirrin asked.

"Who knows? - she shrugged. - The truth is usually either terrible or boring anyway. At least they left a tragic love story to the future."

"Like a script of a movie - Thirrin agreed. - Thanks for telling me all of these, Sansa. I guess we should leave, am I right?"

"Probably… Lunch is ready and I'm quite hungry, so… Let's go!

Thirrin followed her out of the room while making a mental note about texting Margaery later. The story of the destruction of House Targaryen didn't seem whole, something was missing, she could already sense that, but now she got even more questions and doubts. Thirrin wanted answers.

* * *

Despite any famous, mysteriously dead aunts Thirrin decided it's real life, after all, not a trashy drama she would watch on TV, so she managed to leave behing her business woman self and get back to the one she'd been expected to be: Thirrin Woodley, beautiful daughter of the lovely Alysone Tyrell, the girl who could tame Theon Greyjoy (turned out Theon having a permanent girlfriend was a much bigger thing than she thought). Thirrin accepted her role and she did so gladly as she got to like Robb's family enough to do so.

Meeting his parents for the first time was like going through a transformation. As Thirrin introduced herself she _almost literally_ felt her dark red waves turning golden brown, her ice blue eyes brown, her extremely pale, cold complexion warmer and peachier, her face a little rounder and her figure a little curvier (she wouldn't have minded the last part, though). It always happened to her whenever she met someone who used to know her mother. Then Mr Stark embraced her tight (she didn't expect it at all) and said "I'm seeing Aly reborn in you, I'm glad to meet you Thirrin", and she spent the rest of the afternoon telling all about her life, from moving to London to the most recent events like how she was doing with school and how she and Theon had met.

Dinner went smoothly too, Thirrin could guess it was a similar occasion as in Highgarden, in other words, the only time of the day the whole family used to meet up and had a chance for actual conversations. Thirrin was especially happy that there was no mention of business stuff, at home they always ended up talking about business and upper class gossips who did what, why they did that, where they did that WHAT THEY WERE WEARING while doing that, etc.

Now they ended up talking about fencing, more specifically Rickon stole the show by explaining in details how he was planning on getting into the junior national team. Thirrin only listened halfly, she didn't know much about fencing anyway, instead she played her favorite mind-game: reflecting on people around her.

Mr Stark seemed down-to-earth and perfectly normal, definitely not someone whose sister would hook up with married designers. She could totally imagine him, however, being friends with her mother, though she was sure he'd never been part of the elitist, typical Royal Business crew. _Actually, our current group isn't that elitist either._

Her first impression of Mrs Stark was _Oh my freaking goodness, I wanna look like this after having five children._ Thirrin found her beautiful and _strong._ She irradiated such strength that little people had, she inmediately gained Thirrin's sympathy - but Thirrin couldn't help but notice the cold, polite distance Jon and Catelyn were keeping. _On one hand, it's perfectly understandable, though._

All of Robb's siblings, and Robb himself took after their mother with their fiery, auburn hair and sky-blue eyes with the strange warm undertone, except Arya, who had dark brown hair and grey eyes. Thirrin couldn't tell yet what she thought about her. There was something in her that made her face hard to read. Sansa, however, was a different case, she liked her from the very first moment, she even reminded him of her younger self. _Though there's some cold in her too. If someone fucked her up like me, she could recover sooner._ The boys weren't that complicated either: Rickon was fiercer and had bigger mouth, but Bran was a little more kinder; it was impossible not to like both of them instantly.

"... So the odds are with me, I'll WIN next week" - Rickon finished his monologue.

"Unless you get an opponent who has better technical skills" - Arya added.

"I'm quick enough Arya, so technique doesn't matter if they simply CANNOT hit me."

"True, but I saw you at training, your balance skills simply DON'T EXIST. If your ankle isn't stable when you're turning around, you…"

"That's stupid, my balance is PERFECT! Just because I don't train barefoot like you doesn't mean I'm worse then you. Thirrin, did you or do you do any sports?" - he turned to her.

"Yes, I used to be an ice skater, I loved it, but I quit when I was in 9th grade."

"Oh, that sounds wonderful! - Sansa sighed. - Why did you quit then?"

"I simply wasn't good enough. In national competitions I was good, but on international field I usually barely could make it to the free dance. Then I screwed up the European Championship qualification when I was 15, so I decided to quit."

"15? That's so young!"

"Not in skating. If you want to be a successful skater, you have to start getting international results in your teenage years, because you usually have to finish your career around 25. Sport as a career isn't for me, that's all. But I do like watching sports, like basically… Everything. Football, basketball, riding, skating, skiing, tennis, everything, really. That's why 2016 will be my year, like Euro 2016… "

"Who are you going to cheer for? - Rickon interrupted her. - England, Wales, Northern Ireland?"

"Since Scotland couldn't get in there, I think I'll stick with England."

"ENGLAND? - Theon was looking at her as if she had said something very disrespectful. - No, no, no, nooo, we'll cheer for Northern Ireland and show Europe we can… "

" _Estúpid,_ Spain will win anyway."

"Since when have been supporting Spain, Arya?" - Robb raised his eyebrows.

"They play the best football in Europe, everyone knows it."

"The Barcelona era is over, Miniwolf, and Northern Ireland is ready to be the surprise team of their group!"

"Theon, you can't be serious, Northern Ireland… "

Thirrin thought that would be the perfect timing to excuse herself for a cigarette break. Not bothering about putting on a coat (it was a relatively warm night anyway) she walked out to the backyard and sat on the edge of the terrace.

"May I join?" - she heard a deep voice behind her back when she was about to lit on her cigarette. Jon came outside for a smoke too, he was ripping the foil off the box.

"Ohh, sure - Thirrin nodded. - What do you have?"

"Cherry-vanille, quite strong. Want a taste?" - he offered the freshly opened box.

"You know what, yes, thank you. I would offer mine in return, but it's minty and probably too weak for your taste."

"You too, Thirrin? - he sat beside her. - No way, the whole Vogue office smokes this minty one. Is it an upper class thing?"

"Looks like that… Speaking of, I heard you're coming to Fashion Week too."

"Oh yeah… My editor said she'll take me only to London Fashion Week for now, but if I keep up the good job, next season I could go to another major fashion week with her, too."

"Well, Paris Fashion Week is gorgeous, I've never been there, but I'd love to, especially to Haute Couture Fashion Week, it's incredible. Milan is a cool city: art, pizza, prosecco, what else does one need, right? New York Fashion Week has been the most exciting lately, so consider yourself the luckiest fellow on Earth if you get there. Oh and don't forget about Berlin, I think you'll like its vibes too. So you've became permanent at Vogue."

"Kind of… I'll appear in the March and in the June issue, too, in the meantime I help out at photoshoots or at styling… It's inspiring, fun, and I get paid for it, so I think I'll stay."

"You better do! By the way… - she hesitated a little before mentioning it. - I saw your sketches in your room. How long have you been designing?"

"Ohh, thanks, those are made just for fun… - a faint blush seemed to appear on his cheeks. - But like… Since forever? I don't know how fashion came into my life, honestly. I just… constantly feel like this is the best way to express myself. When I got the job at Vogue's, I was beyond happy, it was like a dream coming true. Weird, isn't it? I mean, I'm the only one in my family who's into fashion in this level."

"At least you have a unique talent that you embrace" - Thirrin pointed out.

"Well, art is my way of survival - he shrugged. - You know, I'd like to think I've got it from my mother."

"Oh… - she swallowed. - I'm so sorry. I don't know which is worse: knowing your mother only for a short amount of time, or not knowing her at all."

"Both are bad in their own way. But don't be sorry, I'm already over it."

"Over?" - she raised her eyebrows.

"Dad has never told me anything about her, so I stopped asking questions, that's all. Sometimes moving on is the only solution."

"True" - she didn't say more, she knew Jon would go on. She was right.

"Not that I wouldn't be curious about her sometimes, but I don't have any clue to start searching from. We never heard about her, I don't even know if she's still alive. Anyway, I have my own life to build, my career has just started, I'm about to marry the most gorgeous girl in the world, so… I don't see any reason why I should still care about her existence."

"I see. Hey, I can imagine how hard growing up would have been for you… But you seem tough and strong… So congrats."

"Thanks. Told you, art is my way of survival."

"We all need to survive somehow" - she only said, thinking of her own way of survival: cigarette, vodka and emotionless sex. _Art sounds so much more poetic, mine is just pathetic. But I'm a business woman while he's an artist. There's nothing poetic in business anyway_ \- she reflected.

"True. Wanna check if they decided who will win Euro 2016?"

"Okay. My odds are with Spain, by the way, but please don't tell it to Theon."

* * *

Later that night Thirrin was half sitting half laying in the double bed of the guestroom she'd discovered earlier, wearing her usual sleeping attire (that time the few sizes larger black tshirt had the crest of Royal Business University printed on it). She was scrolling down her phone but didn't pay attention on anything that's been on her dashboard: her thoughts kept returning to the Targaryen scandal. When she first heard about the story she hadn't considered it complicated: the process of slow, effective destruction had reached its zenith when Rhaegar Targaryen and Lyanna Stark had made their relationship public, it seemed a simple coincidence. Now Thirrin had the feeling the two events were connected in some way.

Finally she decided to text Margaery.

 _TW: What's up back in the city?_

 _MT: Currently having prosecco with Dany, she's actually so nice! Though she smokes almost as much as you_

 _TW: Hahahaha. Where are you?_

 _MT: In a bar near us, it's not so trendy so it's safe. What's up in Oxford?_

 _TW: Everything's fine, we had dinner and all. I got all the usual "OMG you're so much like Alysone" stuff, but other than that everyone is okay_

 _MT: Cool. Anything interesting?_

 _TW: Actually yes, can I call you tomorrow? I wouldn't text this_

 _MT: Wooohooo, what is it about?_

 _TW: Lyanna Stark_

 _MT: Ohh, I get it. Sure, call me whenever you're free! I gotta go now, talk to you later!_

 _TW: Okay, have fun!_

She sighed, locked the screen and put her phone to the bedside table.

She was still deep in her thoughts when Theon returned, his hair still wet by shower. Even after the three-course dinner his muscles and veins were showing, his boxers were slid down to his hip bones, for a brief moment Thirrin actually thought of dragging him into bed for a quick and satisfying session before sleep (whenever she was worried or nervous she craved on sex ten times more), then she remembered they probably shouldn't do that with more kids under 16 in the nearby rooms.

"I guess you made a good impression" - he climbed beside her, putting one hand onto her thigh.

"Agree - she smiled. - I'm either love or hate at first sight, there's no in between."

"So, what do you think? - he asked, casually running his fingers up and down her thigh. _Please Greyjoy stop, tomorrow I want to be able look into people's eyes without blushing._ \- I mean, about Robb's family."

"They are all really nice and cute, I get why you love them, but there's something I just can't get out of my mind… "

"And that is…?"

"Okay - she took a deep breath - , I know I have nothing to do with it and I also know patchwork families have been a real thing for so long, but I still can't believe how Mrs Stark could accept that she has to raise a kid who was born from her husband's one night stand… I mean, you obviously can't throw out a baby, and being acceptive is good, but I guess it crosses the lines… - she bit on her lip before continuing. - When we went out for a smoke with Jon, we were talking about stuff, and eventually turned out Mr Stark has never told him anything about his mother! Don't you think it's weird?"

"Yes, it is, but they've managed it pretty well so far - he shrugged as if he didn't think it would be an important detail. - There are far more fucked up families, if you think about it."

"Then - she could't stop herself, she needed to let it out - there's Lyanna Stark. You know, the model girl I've told you about, she hooked up with Dany's late brother, it must be one of the reasons why the Targaryens had been finished."

"I think so… "

"Well the thing is that NO ONE knows how she died exactly. It's not the fricking middle ages when people mysteriously just DIE. Grandma said she had committed suicide, but I don't believe it. Sansa said no one knows the truth, which is also unbelievable. Again, it happened in the 20th century, not in the 13th. There are medical records and such, plus this girl was the MOST FAMOUS model in Europe… Shit, Margaery and I aren't models, yet even we appear on gossip sites and magazines every now and then! Too much secrets, too much unanswered questions, and…"

"Thirrin, listen to me - he cupped her face between his hands. - Please don't get involved into something that's none of your business. Don't start asking around about Lyanna Stark or Jon's parentage, or at least leave Robb's family out of it. The latest would tear them apart, and I don't want that, okay? They're like my own family, so please please Thirrin, don't fuck things up. Every family has their flaws: I don't talk to anyone of them except my sister, you're all spoiled and snob, while Mr Stark managed to knock someone up and decided to bring the kid home. Is it weird? Yes. Shall anyone do anything about it? No. You're going to have enough drama soon, Snowflake, don't make it even worse."

"Okay - she rolled her eyes. - I'll leave everyone alone."

"Thank you - he sighed, pulling her closer, placing a kiss to her forehead. - Now let's sleep, love."

She nodded, lifted up her head and kissed him on the lips softly. He pulled a blanket over them and they laid down as they used to: her back against his chest, his arm wrapped around her waist, his other hand holding hers tangled in her hair.

Thirrin tried to concentrate on his heartbeat to help herself fall asleep. She didn't want to lie to Theon nor create useless chaos, but deep inside she knew she'd need all the informations she'd been collecting that weekend in the near future…

 **A:N/ Probably the longest chapter so far! I hope you liked it, feel free to follow and review!**


	38. Chapter 38

First day of school came faster than it should have, yet as Thirrin was sitting on the train, scrolling through her phone she felt like the amazing four weeks of doing nothing never actually existed: it was surprisingly easy getting back on track. The only thing that seemed weird was sleeping alone and getting up alone. Anything else worked according to the same routine: getting out of bed after at least the fifth snooze, still half asleep getting dressed, doing hair and makeup, making her way downstairs a little bit more awake, grabbing some food, drinking her first coffee then catching the train.

After getting to the school she got her second coffee (extra large plain black americano) and lit on a cigarette while sipping on her coffee, trying to wake up fully. Some familiar people were standing in the smoking area: just like her, with a cup of coffee in their hands and sleepy expression on their face.

Thirrin was staring at her reflection in the glass. As it was way too early for her, she didn't overthink her outfit: black chelsea boots, dark grey skinny jeans ripped by the knees, white shirt that was larger than it supposed to be, black cashmere coat, black leather handbag. The only real color she wore was red on her lips. The creamy lipstick stained around her burning cigarette softly.

She looked down, staring at the ash falling into the tray when she felt an arm around her shoulders and heard an energetic, half laughing-half serious voice:

"Still poisoning yourself, lassie?"

"Happy New Year for you, too, Dacey" - Thirrin answered sarcastically and hugged her friend. Thirrin didn't have many female friends at school: most of the girls either were jealous of her or they thought she was another snob bitch, but Dacey Mormont was an exception. They were similar on the inside and different on the outside, which could be seen even that morning. She had dark chocolate brown eyes and thick black hair with fashionable long bob haircut. She was rather a wild, raw, natural beauty with her strong, nicely shaped eyebrows and creamy skin. She was wearing yellow Timberland boots, light washed skinny jeans, classic plaid flanel and khaki coat with light brown fur on the hood.

"Seriously though - Dacey said - , you should consider quit smoking."

"We'll die one way or another anyway - Thirrin shrugged. - Sorry I haven't noticed you, I'm still half asleep. How do you do being so… alive?"

"This - she raised her cup underlining her words - is my third coffee this morning. I had one at home, then one when changing lines, then here. I admit I might be overcaffeinated."

"I see now. You passed all of your exams, I suppose."

"Sure, luckily - she nodded. - You got the FRM results on New Year's too, right?"

"Yes, it's crazy. I mean who does something like this?!"

"That's what I thought too, I was in the middle of a party when I got the email. The moment I saw I'd passed is my last memory of the night - she laughed. - Well, not exactly, but then we started doing shots, and… Yeah. I used up a half tube of lipbalm the next day, if you know what I mean."

"At least you've got a fun New Year's, it's always a good thing" - Thirrin winked at her friend.

"Of course, but you know, I was hoping I'm over the high school drinking/partying phase. Ohh, speaking of the holidays! - she blurted out. - I had to learn from freaking Instagram that you and your Irish fuckbuddy had got together, like a couple! How is it possible, Lady Thirrin?"

"Ohh, that… - she felt her cheeks turning rose. - I don't know, honestly… Like, everyone thought Theon and I were together-together anyway, then Christmas came… But if you're interested we stepped to the next level after the FRM exam."

"I'm not mad at you, but I should have deserved a text or something, not just a fancy Christmas selfie with all the heart emojis that exist on social media."

"I'm so sorry Dacey, I promise you I'll tell you everything about us in the future!"

"You better do! You know, I'm a single lady so I have to know everything about my friends' relationships until I get my own boyfriend. So your holidays must have been wonderful."

"Oh, they were. Even the bloody photoshoot was fun, too, and my family likes him."

"What did you get from him?"

"Lingerie and this bracelet" - she lifted her arm up.

"And whad did you give to him?"

"Two tickets to Glastonbury."

"OH MY GOD. Are you serious? How the hell could you get tickets on the first place?"

"That's what Theon asked too. Net-A-Porter trained me well at ordering stuff quickly that gets sold out in minutes."

"Well, I can tell you're the girlfriend of the year and I'm not even dating you. Make sure you post tons of videos and photos and all that stuff from Glastonbury, I want to see all of them and be jealous of you."

"I can guarantee. What about your holidays?"

"Fun and traditional as always, it was nice having some rest. This semester will be crazy. Like this Business Law thing, for example - Dacey sighed. - Do you know anything about the professor? Your eldest cousin majored in Business and Management here, too."

"You're right, I even asked Willas but turned out his Business Law professor is already retired. Though he said I shouldn't mind it because his business law classes were boring as hell."

"I hope ours will be better. I asked some guys on New Year's, before the shots, and they said this lady is very practice-oriented, so we won't have to memorise lots of law stuff, she rather concentrates on the methods how to use the law in our business and stuff."

"Oh, this looks actually useful, what a surprise! What's her name again?" - Thirrin asked.

"Uhm… Wait, I check my schedule. Here it is, Business Law, Daena Connington."

"Hmm, that name sounds familiar… Well, we shall see. Other thing - she changed the subject -, please say you can come to my birthday party on Friday!"

"I wouldn't miss it! Just one question, why don't you throw a party tomorrow? I mean, tomorrow is your actual birthday, right?"- Dacey asked.

"True, but you know, everyone is all over the place with their schedules, so I thought it would be easier celebrating in the weekend - she explained. - Plus I guess we'll pretty much need a dancing-our-asses-off kind of indie party after this week, don't you think?"

"You couldn't be more right. So what do you want for your birthday?"

"Ohh, you don't have to get me anything, really!"

"But you're turning 21! - Dacey protested. - You'll drink legally in the USA too!"

"I used to drink at 15, which is illegal EVERYWHERE in theory… - Thirrin pointed out. - Seriously, get me a giant cupcake in between two classes tomorrow, it'll be perfectly enough."

"Deal. By the way we should go, class starts in five minutes."

The girls entered the modern, minimalist building where their classes would usually take place. The hallways were already crowded, people standing in front of lecture rooms or classrooms, going up and down the stairs. Thirrin found delight in the usual morning crowd: school happened to be her happy place, a safe haven from all the craziness of her life. She was sure school had helped her partially maintaining her mental health last year, and she had to suspect something similar would happen now too.

When they reached the second floor, the boys were already waiting in front of a closed door, chatting in small groups. The main reason Thirrin and Dacey were grateful for being sorted into Group 3 was the fact that they were the only girls: both of them agreed most of the girls only make everyday life complicated while things tend to be quite simple with boys. Thirrin liked all of them: children of old families like herself, born to be leaders, all clever, strong-minded, good at strategy and inspiring. Wait, am I happy to be back to school?

"Heeeey guys!" - Dacey's energetic voice dragged her back to reality.

"Oh, the ladies have come! Nice to see you again!" - a tall, broad-shouldered guy, who had been in a conversation with Robb, greeted them loudly.

"You too, Smalljon… - Thirrin smiled back. - Hey, put me down! - she protested: when they hugged each other he lifted her up with ease, while Robb only gave them a quick, still sleepy smile. - You don't want hot coffee spilled all over you! Thanks!"

"Hmm, true… So what's up with you? - Smalljon asked them. - We've been talking about this semester's internship, I hope we aren't the only ones who haven't found a place yet."

"What? I thought you'll work for the family business this year too!"

"That's just plan B, my father wants me to get experience somewhere else."

"I told you, you could go to our company! - Robb suggested. - Oxford isn't that far, after all! I'll send your CV to my father if you want to."

"Thanks, I'll think about it. So, ladies?"

"I guess I'll stick with the family business - Dacey said. - Working with my Mom is quite fun, like I help her out at administration and stuff anyway, the office is literally two corners from home, so why not?"

"Reasonable… You, Thirrin?"

"I've already got plans, but I need to go to the internship office this week to know if I can arrange what I want… If I can't, the Golden Rose Inc. is always there as second option. Robb?"

"I'm working on my CV to get better chances at job interviews, I want to try a new place, but I don't know if I can get something interesting… "

"Come on, you're a STARK - Thirrin rolled her eyes. - People see your name and hire you instantly."

"That's a reference for everyone here!" . he protested.

"Still Woodley, not Tyrell!"

"Look, she's acting like she needs a NAME to get hired. Dearest Lady Thirrin, you're one of the smartest peopel I know, I'm sure you'd impress every HR manager" - Smalljon pointed out.

"He's right - Dacey approved - , in fact all of us will get a solid internship place! Positivity, guys!"

"Dacey, it's Monday morning..."

"Business and Management, Group 3, am I right?" - they suddenly heard a ringing, silvery voice along with noise of clicking heels on the floor. Everyone hushed and turned left where the sound was coming from: an elegant, definition-of-upperclass-lawyer kind of woman was approaching them. She was wearing all black: tailored blazer, simple shirt, pencil skirt, pointed high heels, quality handbag. As Thirrin guessed she must have been in her 40s.

"Good morning, ladies and gentlemen - she greeted them with a nod. - You may come in" - she opened the door and all started entering the classroom. As Thirrin was passing by their new professor, she couldn't help but notice how she stared at her bag. There was a quite possible reason: instead of her usual everyday Tom Ford bag Thirrin chose one of Dany's creations that morning. It was similar in style and material, but it had a small, silver, three-headed dragon as clasp. Then she decided it wasn't important and sat down next to Dacey.

"Again, good morning. My name is Daena Connington and I'm going to be your Business Law professor this semester - she started in a clear, yet calming tone when everyone took their seat. - To begin, I'd like to introduce myself in a few words, then I'll talk about what we're going to study, and about the valutation system too. Finally, we'll begin our first topic. Is everything clear? Good. So, I've known since a young age that I wanted to be a lawyer, so I worked hard to get accepted to Cambridge, Faculty of Law… "

After about ten minutes Thirrin felt the effect essential morning coffees disappearing. The professor's voice was so calming she almost fell asleep, her eyelids opening and closing slowly. She lost focus, the silouette of people and objects appeared more and more blurred. She decided she needed to shake herself up, so reached for her phone:

TW: Save me pls

TG: First I have to save myself. Five minutes passed and I already understand NOTHING

TW: She's talking about her career since its very beginning. So fucking interesting. Oh wait no. Why is this class so early?

TG: This shit is serious, and I thought I'm good at these kinda subjects. Why do I want to be a mechanichal engineer?

TW: I want to go back to my bed

TG: I want to go back to YOUR bed…

TW: Not now, we're at school

TG: So what, Snowflake?

TW: Have I said you're such a nympho, Greyjoy?

TG: That's why you love me, right?

TW: You won. Are you happy now?

TG: Almost. What are you wearing? I mean, under your clothes.

She took her bottom lip between her teeth as she was typing in the answer, but suddenly heard her name:

"... As for the grades, there are going to be three written tests in class, if you pass all of them with at least 70% you won't have to take the exam. However, I would like you to work by yourself too, so you'll have assignments too, and there are going to be three presentations. I looked up your results of the previous semester and based on that as well as randomly I chose three pairings who'll get a case of a company that you have to solve, as if you would be their legal advisor. To be on time I'm giving the first topic now, to the two students who got the best grades last semester. Miss Woodley, Mr Stark, are you present?"

She stood up as if she was caught in the act. At least Robb looked like a normal person who didn't start sexting in the middle of a class.

"Excellent - Miss Connington nodded. - Since our first topic will be the role of legal advisors in a company's life, you get a very interesting, but complicated and hard case to work out. It's the most recent as well, and I thought it would be perfect for you two. I'll send you all the materials, but I'd like you to dig in deeper, ask your family members, whatever you can do. Your topic is Destroying from the inside - falling of the House of Targaryen. I want you to find out why it happened, how it happened, how it could have been avoided, understand? Good. You get three weeks. Do your best!"

Trying hard not to bang her head against her laptop or rip off Miss Connington's perfectly blowdried hair Thirrin nodded and returned her encourageing smile. Robb nodded too, accepting their job.

Remaining as still as possible Thirrin reached for her phone again and sent a text to Robb:

TW: WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT THIS. NOW. Let's have a coffee after class.

For the rest of the class Thirrin took notes in automatic mode, not even understanding what she was typing in. She only calmed down a little when she got Robb's Okay… text along with a questioning facial expression.

Once finished, Thirrin threw her belongings back to her bag and nodded to Robb to follow her. She could see on his face clearly he didn't have a clue what on earth could be wrong. He tried to ask her multiple times as they were on their way to get another coffee, but she kept hushing him, she only could think about the bitter, strong taste of coffee and cigarette in her mouth that would probably calm her down.

After getting their dose of caffeine in form of americano and cappuccino, Thirrin lead him to a hidden corner near the main building and lit on a cigarette. As she inhaled the smoke she inmediately felt her quick pulse lowering.

"Thirrin, will you tell me what the hell is going on?" - Robb asked, possibly for a millionth time. She took a deep breath:

"How much has Margaery told you about… what we're doing in our free time?" - she managed to say.

"You mean your business? She told me you've found a girl you're sponsoring now, but didn't say her name…"

"Okay… - she blew out the smoke. - Shit, you need to know everything. Please sign this before" - she took a piece of printed paper out of her bag.

"What, a secrecy agreement?!" - Robb raised his eyebrows after reading through the page.

"Just sign the bloody paper, you'll understand why." - Thirrin tried not to imagine what Robb could be thinking of her that she carries casual secrecy agreements in her bag on a daily basis.

After signing the paper, Thirrin started talking and didn't finish for a good five minutes. She told him how they had found Daenerys, how they had worked out their plan, what kind of headways they had already made, then everything she knew about the Targaryens. While talking, she was looking at his reactions. She could see in his eyes Robb thought they'd gone crazy, all of these was simply impossible, general shock and surprise was reflecting on his face, yet there was a hint of Why am I NOT THAT surprised? kind of feeling too.

"Jesus Christ - he gasped when she finished. - Thirrin, you're fucking terrifying, I have to tell you."

"Please Stark… I told you all this, because if you listened, you must have noticed there are plenty of holes in this story. Like… "

"How Aunt Lyanna died - he finished the sentence. - Or why was important to the Lannisters to destroy the Targaryens."

"Exactly. Now, this is our fucking task for this fucking project! We need to be very careful what to include into our presentation, because it's a very sensitive subject and it's becoming even more complicated since we're introducing Dany to the society in like two weeks…"

"Thirrin, I get it, but do you realize how dangerous it is?!"

"Obviously, but doesn't matter, now we..."

"No, it fucking matters - he interrupted her, his voice so thick she'd never heard him before- , it's not just about you, it's about Margaery too!"

"Chill, Young Wolf, she can take care of herself. What DOES matter, however, is how we fill the holes in the story. I have a feeling some stuff isn't exactly school appropriate… But it's quite simple, all we have to do is research, research, research and filter the infos."

"And keep our mouth shut about certain things, I suppose" - Robb added.

"Exactly - she nodded. - But I NEED to know what your aunt had to do with the Targaryens exactly, besides fucking Rhaegar Targaryen."

"Sure, but I don't have a clue how we're going to do this. I mean Dad won't tell us anything about Aunt Lyanna, I'm sure. He hardly talks about her anyway, so… "

"We'll figure this part out later, and I really want to believe it's only important for me. I mean, it's a fucking school project, so we probably won't need to talk about love affairs and all… There has to be a logical reason for this Lannister-Targaryen conflict, something related to money, or… "

"You're to rational, Thirrin - Robb said. - Love can fuck up lots of things, if you think about it."

"Maybe you're right… Well, when we get the files we'll have something to start with. We can do this, Robb, without making bigger trouble" - she squeezed his shoulders, trying to appear encouraging.

"I really hope so… - Robb give her a faint smile. - I wouldn't dig THAT deep into my family's potential secrets, if it's possible."

"I'm afraid it isn't…."

"I know, I was just trying to sound optimistic. And Thirrin, please take care of yourself, both of you!" - he looked into her eyes, again, his voice serious and thick.

"We won't get ourselves killed, I promise."

Working on a project with Robb Stark, whom I didn't even talk to properly last semester, on a project that involves the dirty secrets of some of the most important British corporations and the mystery of the 90s, and it's still AM. People should stop wondering why I run on caffeine, nicotine and inappropriate thoughts.


	39. Chapter 39

**A/N: Hey guys, long time no see! I hope you're still with me and I hope you'll like this update, follows and reviews are always appreciated! :)**

Robb couldn't tell how long they had been in the quiet corner of the library: since it was winter sun had already went down when they had started working and since then his eyes were sticked to the screen of his laptop without even looking outside. He was sitting on the floor: the desk they had been using was occupied by countless printed pages - articles, files, accounts, detailed CVs of at least twenty people, all that stuff that Robb didn't believe it would be legal to have; plus after some time he simply wasn't able to sit by a desk like a normal person, so he sat down to the floor with his legs crossed. No one judged him: as he looked around, he counted at least ten people sitting in the same position as him.

Even though it was only the second week of the semester, the library was already full of students of the three major universities of the area: lots of med students with insanely large books and beautifully decorated notes, lots of law students with ever bigger books, and some economics students, who usually only had a laptop and some files. Except _them._ They chose a relatively empty area because they needed to discuss what they had processed too.

Robb wasn't a procrastinator, but normally he wouldn't have started working on a presentation due three weeks, but when they had got all the necessary files (Robb still thought half of them was irrelevant) both had to realize they needed to get to work sooner: it was a messy, complex, all over the place case, actually the biggest scandal of the mid-'90s.

He rubbed his eyes as the document he was working on seemed to appear more and more blurred. He was alone, as Thirrin had finished her dose of reading sooner she had gone down to get some energy reboot.

 _Where the hell is she?_ \- he thought. - _I don't think buying two cups of coffee would take that much time._

As if someone read his mind, Thirrin walked in with two paper cups in her hands.

"Comfy enough? - she smiled. - Here you are, double cappuccino. Sorry for being late, I ran into Quentyn and since I can't get rid of him easily I had to smoke a cigarette with him" - she joined him, sitting in front of him.

"Quentyn?"

"Quentyn Martell, law student, a year younger than us, we went to the same school and he had a crush on me - she explained in low voice. - Cute but not my type. He was so disappointed that I'm taken. Anyway, could you figure out something?"

He cleaned his throat while showing her the files he used:  
"The value of House Targaryen would decrease as the value of the Lannister Co. would grow, all at the same time, but we've already established that. Also, as I see the Targaryens lent enormous amount of money from the Lannisters through the years, even though it was clear they simply weren't capable to pay back, because… Here, the sells show huge decreasing, until 1990, when…"

"Rhaegar Targaryen became creative director."

"How do you know that?"

"It's about MY firm if you think about it, of course I know its history. Another fun fact, the sells increased even more starting in

February of 1992 when Lyanna Stark closed the Autumn/Winter show."

"Exactly - Robb didn't find particularly pleasant that his aunt may have played a big role in the case. - Lyanna signed a contract with them in spring of 1992 and then… Look Thirrin, 1992, 1993, 1994, they sold more stuff than… Basically ever. They were on their peak, yet their debts kept on increasing… - his eyes narrowed. - I don't understand it… Nevermind, let's see what you could find in that… "

"Dirty little biography about Tywin Lannister? It's actually a very interesting read! Top 3 of every kind of wealthiest/most influential/most successful people list, insanely good business decisions, dragging the Lannister Co. out of bankruptcy, moreover, doing economics and law at the same time… I'm impressed! I would love to work for him! What, keep your friends close and your enemies closer."

"So have you found something?"

"In a nutshell, he seems to buy firms as I buy shoes. Like seriously, all the companies that currently belong to the Lannister Co. had been renovated and integrated into the structure by him. I looked into it, which is completely different than ours, for example."

"As ours you mean the Golden Rose Inc., right?"

"Yes. So their system works differently, because in the end of the day all the smaller companies are _under_ the main real estate and law firm. Only the Baratheon Co. is on the same level as the original company. Our system is democratic, this is…"

"Autocratic?"

"Too strong, but something like this, yes. Also, you must have heard about the Reyne-case in the late '70s. It's connected to Tywin Lannister too, public humiliation and complete destruction."

"And you want to work to this man. Thirrin, I've always known you're weird… "

"That's not the point. I hope you see the pattern here, the Reynes didn't obey him so he destroyed them. He's like that: if you cooperate with him, you won't get into trouble, but if not… You'll end up like the Reynes, or the Targaryens, for that matter."

"A heartless fucker who only cares for what's good for his brand… My Dad told me about him."

"Interesting… My Grandma only adviced to avoid him if possible."

"Good idea… Anything else? What have you read about his time at the Targaryens'?"

"As it's known he worked there as legal advisor and had many success, like winning suits, it's quite common in between fashion brands, trying to steal each other's designs, then he helped them getting more money for advertistments…"

"So basically he was the actual head of the company" - he made the conclusion

"Exactly, only Aerys Targaryen realized that after 20 years and since he was known to be not completely sane he fired him, but they still maintained a business relationship… I guess that's something we can start from. Maybe he wanted to integrate the fashion line to the Lannister Co., it's consisted of such messy companies anyway."

"Messy?"

"There's basically no connection point in between the small companies, which is, again, a complete opposite of the Golden Rose Inc. We embrace luxury and upperclass life: quality wine, gourmet food, golden and diamond jewelry, luxury travel agency, you name it, but they have literally everything."

"I see… It's a common thing, after all, pushing a company into bankruptcy, then generously buying it. We have a hypothesis!"

"It could work… - she agreed. - Furthermore, I still believe some personal issue is the key here. There're more simple explanations: one, the Reyne-case, two, that collection of CVs and career stories we got. Okay, what do you want to read next?"

"Can't I have some break too?" - he asked back.

"Yes, sure… Robb, if I'm being too demanding, just tell me to stop, okay?"

"As if someone dared… Let's go outside, those Germans kept rolling their eyes at us while we've been talking."  
Both stood up, put their closed laptops to the table and walked outside to the gallery that connected the library and the study area. As they passed by the long lines of desks, Robb checked every brunette med student unintentionally, making sure he wouldn't run into Jeyne. He hadn't seen her since the infamous Christmas Eve, and he wasn't sure he could manage a chitchat like a normal person - he realized he'd NEVER had to deal with any ex before.

"Theon texted me he's just got home - Thirrin's voice dragged him back to the present. - He asks when we're coming too."

"We?" - he raised his eyebrows.

"I'm staying at your place tonight if you don't mind."

"No, of course not… I'm starting to find very useful that I got those giant Beats headphones for Christmas" - he added half teasing half serious.

"As if you two were quiet as a shadow… - she rolled her eyes. - So what should I reply? He said he would order dinner for us too, just saying."

"I don't know… - he checked the time on his phone: 6:37 PM. - What else do you want to process today?"

"I really wanna look into that _People involved_ titled file, but nothing serious, just quickly flipping it through, so we would know whom we need to do a research on next time."

"That won't take more than an hour, right? Then text we'll arrive by around 8-8:30 PM."

"Okay. What do you want for dinner?"

"Whatever you'll take."

"Cool - she locked her phone and took a sip of coffee. - So what do you think about this so far?"

"I feel like we actually could work out a solution, but frankly, reading the Targaryen story was kind of terrifying, with all the fraud and mysterious deaths…" - he shivered.

"I get you - she nodded. - As I was reading Tywin Lannister's biography I couldn't help but imagine what if he would do to us as he did to the Reynes - she stared to nowhere with her face still, but he noticed her hands were slightly shaking. - Robb, can I ask you something?"

"Sure, go ahead."

"Have you told Margaery about all this?"

"We have better things to talk about, trust me."

"That's good, because… Same. She's already nervous about the possible events of the next few weeks - she doesn't show, but she can't trick me. I don't want to upset her even more. I only will tell her about this in details if we find something that's relevant for our present."

Robb only nodded. He would always see Thirrin as a strong, powerful, mysterious woman, but now he realized she can be insecure and vulnerable too. However, he had a question too…

"Thirrin, have you told Theon about this?" - he asked.

She shook her head.

"When I told him what I found out about Lyanna, he said I should leave this subject alone. I don't want to upset him either. He fears for me a lot, I think - she explained. - You?"

 _Of course he fears for you, he never ever wants to lose you_ \- he thought.

"Me? No, I only told him we're working on a case together for Business Law. We've got used to not understand what the other is studying" - he added to ease the atmosphere.

She gave him a faint smile.

"I guess we should jump into that file - she suggested. - Sooner we get through on it, sooner we can go home."

"Right, let's go."

They went back to their spot and sat to the floor next to each other. Thirrin placed the folder in front of them and opened it.

"Tywin Lannister, Aerys Targaryen, Rhaegar Targaryen, that's pretty obvious… - he flipped through the first few pages. - Though Rhaegar wasn't fully in charge, was he? I don't know how fashion brands work."

"No, he wasn't - she agreed. - In theory the creative director doesn't get involved into the business part. Doran Martell is obvious too - she showed him the CV of a Southern-Middle Eastern-looking man -, the Martells used to be the most significant Targaryen-investors. And Elia Martell was his sister and Rhaegar's wife" - the next file had been made about a pretty, dark haired woman who had the same Middle Eastern kind of features.

"Lyanna Stark, again… - Robb sighed at the sight of his late aunt's photo. - Your theory might work, I mean her hooking up with Rhaegar making trouble. Cersei Lannister… - his eyes narrowed as he saw the photo of a beautiful, but _cold,_ blonde woman. - I don't know who she is" - he knew he had heard this name earlier, but he couldn't recall where and when.

"An old bitch who thinks too much of herself… - Thirrin muttered. - She started as Miss United Kingdom like a hundred years ago, but now she's a lawyer, a fucking good one, I have to admit. She's Tywin Lannister's daughter."

"Thanks… Hey, I know this man! Robert Baratheon was my father's best friend in school and in college. They went to the same boarding school then both chose Royal Business as university. Though they lost contact long ago…"

"I know him too, but it's not a big deal, Londoners above a certain society level know each other… Let's see who else we have…" - she turned some pages.

"WHAT IS MY LATE GRANDFATHER DOING HERE? - Robb exclaimed at the sight of the next headline and photo, forgetting about the _Keep quiet in the library_ rule. Every head turned to him. - Sorry, sorry! What, your amino acids are still there, right? Thirrin, this is crazy - he lowered his tone. - First my aunt, then my grandfather… "

" _Rickard Stark, general director and owner of the Stark Industries, born in 1947, died in 1994_ \- Thirrin read out loud. - Well, he might have had investments or other business connection with the Targaryens or the Lannisters, you're one of the biggest British firm, after all - she moved on to the next CV as if it wasn't a big deal. - Khm… Robb, don't freak out, please… Is Brandon Stark related to you too?"

"Yes, he was Dad's older brother, he died in a road accident before we were born… Wait, he has a file here too?"

"Yes… I haven't expected your family to be so deep into this. Mine, on the other hand… Oh holy shit - she remained speechless as she flipped through the last pages. He took the remaining resumés and understood her shock instantly: one file was his father's, the other was a woman's, who, based on a photo, looked like Thirrin a lot, even though she had brown hair, a little rounder face and brown eyes. _Alysone Tyrell_ \- he read the headline.

"Well… I get now why we got this case" - he only commented.

"I can't believe this! Why did my Mom have to be involved into EVERYTHING in the 90s?!"- Thirrin didn't lose her temper that much, but her voice was still shaky and her gaze was furious.

"Maybe it's nothing serious… - he tried the same technique as she before. - The Tyrells were huge Targaryen-investors too."

"Yeah, maybe… - she breathed in and out slowly, trying to calm down. - Okay, I need to rethink our methods… You're right, we got this case for a reason, which is pretty obvious, insider infos. We need to check what we have at home, photos, old articles, documents, anything."

"I told you, Dad won't tell us anything about Lyanna. But… at home there's that room full of Lyanna's stuff…"

"I know."

"Oh really… So what if I go home for a nice Sunday lunch and sneak out some stuff?"

"Excellent, I'll do so in Highgarden. And I changed my mind, forget the documents and all, what we need are the society section of the Sunday Times and archives of gossip magazines."

"What about the accounts and everything else Miss Connington gave us?"

"We'll take care of them later for the verification part, first we'll need to make up theories."

"I've already told you half of the stuff is irrelevant… I think we've done enough for today. Let's go home."

Thirrin nodded. Both picked up their laptops, divided the pile of files in half making it easier to carry and left the library, walking next to each other silently. Neither of them were happy with the result of their study session. The last thing Robb wanted was investigate on his own family, and he didn't know what to say if he got caught while trying to steal a bunch of old photos and documents. He glanced at Thirrin: she got back to her usual calm facial expression, but he was sure she needed some time to process what had happened too.

"Rather easy subject, I hope you'll come to my birthday party" - Thirrin broke the silence as they were walking down the stairs.

"Yeah, of course" - he nodded. He wanted to add maybe it wasn't the best idea meeting half of Thirrin's (and therefore Margaery's) relatives already, but he figured that wasn't such a big problem to worry about, he decided he would improvise. Besides, he was glad things between him and Thirrin weren't awkward and forced anymore and he didn't want to offend her.

"Good! I've actually never been to that boat club, but I've only read good reviews. Though I don't believe we won't have fun, I arranged us unlimited champagne, dry, I hope everyone likes it. I, personally, drank enough sweet champagne between the age of 15 and 17… "

"Dry champagne will be just fine - he assured her. - I've been told a rule by a certain ex-waiter: the champagne is dry, the beer is Guinness, the tequila…"

"The tequila is silver and the vodka is Finlandia - she finished the sentence with laughter in the corner of her lips. - Though I have to disagree with the lattest, Absolut is the best. Anyway, the boys can't wait for Friday night as I hinted today that all of my model cousins are single."

"We're gonna have an entertaining night, then" - he smirked.

They reached the locker section and searched for the lockers where they had put their coats and bags. The place was crowded, lots of people decided to go home instead of continue sitting by books. Robb looked around for the same reason as before, he wanted to check if Jeyne was around. He almost let out a relieved sigh, but he suddenly saw a familiar-looking, beige coat worn by a girl whose brown waves were braided in a messy, long braid.

 _She used to wear her hair like this a lot._

When she turned around, he definitely made sure the girl was Jeyne, with one of her friends whose name he couldn't recall, he only remembered Theon had sex with her. He couldn't concentrate on Thirrin's words anymore, the only thing on his mind was figuring out how to avoid Jeyne.

"...so I hope that tobacco shop near the metro station is still open… What is it?" - Thirrin asked when he patted her shoulders.

"When we're leaving, please try to mix and get out as soon as possible - he muttered. - My ex is over there" - he made a gesture with his head when he saw her wondering face.

"Oh, okay, I got you - she nodded. - Let's go."

He didn't look left nor right, only forward, following Thirrin to the main entrance. They almost got there, when he suddenly heard the familiar, soft voice behind him:

"Robb, is that you?"

He stopped, then turned around. There she stood, her long braid falling on her right shoulder, with a large textbook in her hand, her brown eyes looking straight into his blue eyes. All the kindness and glow disappeared from her glance, as she looked at him sense of guild took him over. He waved to Thirrin to stop and took some steps closer.

"Jeyne, hello… How are you?" - was the only thing he could say. He could feel the strange tension between them vibrating in the air.

"Thanks for the question, I'm just fine, only I almost failed my last exam, biochemistry, but other than that everything is okay. You?"  
She didn't say any reason, because he knew it very well: if you break up before you finish your exams, you won't be able to study.

"I'm fine, too - he answered shortly. - I passed all of my exams too."

"Well, congrats. And what have you been doing here? New semester's just started" - he couldn't help but notice that her questioning gaze focused on Thirrin now.

"We've been working on a project for a class."

"I see."

He felt like as if time stopped, both were staring at each other like they wanted to say something but couldn't. He knew her well enough to see on her face she couldn't get over their breakup so easily as him. He didn't know what to say or what to do.

"Khm… I should go to revise anatomy… - she finally broke the tensed silence. - Bye, Robb."

"Bye."

She left almost immediately, he stood near the door for a couple more seconds until Thirrin shook his shoulders gently to get him going.

"That was awkward - Thirrin gritted with a cigarette between her lips, trying to light on it, when they were walking on the street. - Want one?" - she offered the box.

"No, thanks - he declined. - I had no idea I hurt her that much. Have you heard, she almost failed her exam because of me basically!"

"If you want to go back to a boring med student, therefore break my cousin's heart, I'll push you under a bus. I mean it" - she looked into his eyes coldly.

"No, of course I don't want to go back to her…" - Robb protested. He was actually very happy about how things had been going between him and Margaery. He couldn't remember any other time when he got along with a girl so well, he liked everything in her, her beautiful, soft hair, her playful, silvery voice, her bright smile, her honest doe eyes, her clever mind, her rosie-peachy scent, the touch of her elegant hands… Yet the bitter, weird sense of guilt still remained in his heart.

Thirrin stopped.

"Robb, please be honest with me. Was it your first _real_ breakup?"

He nodded, he didn't see any reason to lie.

"But I skipped the long grief phase, since I met Margaery literally a week after and… You know" - despite the cold air he felt his cheeks turning red.

"And who broke up with whom?"

"I don't know exactly… - he admitted. - We were yelling at each other and then… Really, I can't remember. Maybe it was me, maybe it was her."

"Whatever. You have every right to be happy, even though you had an ugly breakup, you don't need to care about her feelings anymore. Breakups suck, but she'll get over it. I can convince you to keep your decision."

"Like threatening me to death?" - he raised his eyebrows.

"For example - she smirked. - But seriously. If I remember correctly this nice girl called your best friend a heartless, stupid fuckboy."

"You're right… - he sighed. - Sorry, it was just… Weird and unexpected. And after what we've discovered today… "

"Running into an ex is always like this - she shrugged. - Head up, Stark! As soon as I smoke this we can go home, Theon ordered chicken wings for dinner and I texted him to run down to the corner store and get some beer too, we'll need this after… everything.

"Agree - he chuckled. - I've never been looking forward to get home this much."


	40. Chapter 40

Margaery had already got ready but didn't want to go downstairs yet. It was Friday night, they would leave for Thirrin's birthday party in less than an hour, but as time was passing she wanted to stay at home more and more. At first her cousin's birthday had seemed a very much needed, unwinding nightout (even though Thirrin had booked tables at one of those indie clubs near the docks). School, work and some kind of social life was exhausting, so she had been looking forward to Friday night, until she realized Thirrin had invited all of her classmates, including Robb. Since they hadn't defined their relationship yet, Margaery wasn't ready to meet his friends, to introduce him to her brothers, or to the whole press, for that matter. When she had brought it up, Thirrin being Thirrin obviously hadn't understood what there was to worry about.

" _It's just a freaking PARTY, Margaery - she rolled her eyes. - Relax and get drunk, I mean, both of you. Everyone will do that, therefore no one will ask questions. So, what do you think I should get? Elderberry flavored or cranberry flavored vodka?"_

Of course, Thirrin had always been much more open about her relationships in general, more specifically, she simply didn't care about what people thought about her or what she was doing.

 _Okay, she would have gone totally insane if she wasn't like this -_ she thought. - _But I DO care about what people think about me, and a Tyrell dating a Stark is definitely gossip material…_

The sounds, voices and scents coming from downstairs - laughter, clinking glass, instrumental music, flowing liquid, bitter scent of smoke and mixture of expensive, quality colognes - didn't make her feel better: Thirrin, Loras and Renly had been getting drunk effectively by playing _Never have I ever…_ and drinking vodka shots in the past hour or so. As for that matter, it was one of the reasons why she didn't show up yet: as she was feeling nervous all day, she was afraid she might throw up instantly if she had a shot of hard liquor.

She sighed, looking at her phone: _New message in group chat Roses of Highgarden._

 _Meg: HELP! What should I wear tonight? I gotta leave in 20 minutes yet I'm sitting in underwear_

 _Elinor: Well I'm wearing black leather pants, that sheer kinda seethrough white blouse with the neckbow and black Loubs with red lipstick, but I'm afraid it might be too much… Thirrin, it's your birthday, what do you say?_

 _Thirrin: There's no such thing as being overdressed honey! Also, I told you the majority of my classmates are super hot, nice and SINGLE guys, so be pretty! I'm wearing this, BTW_

 _Thirrin sent a photo_

 _Well, at least she looks amazing_ \- Margaery reflected. Thirrin was wearing a dark, oxblood two-piece: a croptop with high neckline and a simple, short pencil skirt with black lace-up heels. She got her hair and makeup professionally done earlier that day, overall she still looked kinda sober, only her way too shiny eyes unveiled her.

 _Thirrin: MARGAERY, I KNOW YOU'VE SEEN ALL THIS! Coooome, half of the vodka is already gone!_

 _Margaery: Okay, I'll be down in a sec… BTW I'm wearing this dress with my charm necklace and some golden pumps_

She sent the group a mirror selfie, showing her off-the-shoulder ruffled emerald green dress that she got a few days ago, trying to look less worried: the "half of the vodka is already gone" - part gave her disturbing second thoughts.

 _I don't want to repeat what happened on her latest birthday…_

Before she could have been lost in the dark memories, she heard the doorbell ringing. Since the others seemed too busy to answer, it was Margaery's duty to go downstairs and open the door. She walked down, turned the key and she found herself in front of a two-day-stubbled, messy haired Theon Greyjoy, dressed in black and dark green.

"Theon, finally!" - Margaery practically fell onto his shoulders when he came inside.

"Wow, Robb didn't say we're switching up girls for tonight" - his signature annoying smirk appeared on his face when she released him.

"You don't, idiot - she rolled her eyes. - Look, Thirrin is probably already in the third phase, and it's getting worse, so please please look after her tonight!"

"Third phase?" - he raised his eyebrows.

"Chatty, flirty, hyperventillating, willing to dance - she explained. - Thirrin, Loras and Renly have been doing vodka shots in the past hour or so while playing _Never have I ever…_ "

"So you're behaving like this because you've been left out?"

"I was getting ready and I almost NEVER do shots, so NO! - she protested. - Anyway, they're smoking in the middle of the livingroom, so…"

"Ohh… Then it is actually quite serious. Okay, don't worry, I can handle her. I used to do it for a living."

"No, it's not just that, Thirrin never drinks that much to be subconscious…. - she bit on her bottom lip. - Theon, how much do you know about her past?"

"Everything."

"Thought so… Then I'm worried about her because her last birthday… Turned out to be a disaster - Margaery sighed. - She hadn't seen _him_ for three weeks then, we all thought she could end that mess forever, but in her fifth phase - horny and overemotional - she called him and she ended up falling back for him. So please stay by her side, I don't want her to even remember that night… "

"Trust me Margaery, Thirrin will be safe with me" - he squeezed her hand, looking straight into her eyes.

"Thank you… " - she whispered

"No problem… Heey, happy birthday again, Snowflake!" - Theon gave Thirrin a wide smile when she walked out of the livingroom with a bottle of Absolut in her hand.

"Thanks again babe, we've been waiting for you! - she greeted him with such a long, passionate kiss that Margaery had to turn away her head. - Also, Margaery, finally! I thought you'll never finish getting ready! So, never have I ever hooked up with a model! Both of you, come in and DRINK!"

"Which one of them said that?" - Margaery asked.

"Which one of them works with model agencies?"

"Ohh, then it was Loras. Wait, he's never hooked up with a model? I didn't know that!"

"Yep, NEVER, he's screwing with us on purpose. But what the hell are you waiting for, drink! It's elderberry flavored vodka, best thing ever!"

"Okay… Also, Theon, you've REALLY hooked up with a model?!" - Margaery raised her eyebrows as they entered the livingroom. _Well, at least they didn't make such a big mess and Thirrin didn't start drinking at 10 AM like she used to on her birthdays since she was 15. Always look on the bright side, Tyrell_ \- she reflected.

The smoke floating in the air was so thick one could cut it with a knife, it took her minutes to adjust to the bad visual conditions, but other than that everything looked kind of normal. Thirrin's indie mix was on the bluetooth speaker, they didn't forget using ash trays, overall the room looked neat and organized, except the shot glasses on the table and the goddamned smoke, so she opened a window widely.

"It isn't that complicated to find one in this city… - he shrugged. - She was Russian. Or Ukrainian…? Whatever. Hey Snowflake, can I ask you something? How many shots have you had?"

"No idea, these idiots know too much about me… - Thirrin sighed laughing as she jumped onto the couch between Loras and Renly. - Keep calm Greyjoy, I had a proper dinner, they took care of it!"

"We kinda stole her from the beauty salon - Renly explained -, and took her out to eat Italian. She had a whole pizza all by herself, I can assure you!"

"Exactly, plus look what I've got from these gentlemen! It's _Trinity de Cartier!_ " - Thirrin lifted up her arm, showing her large, black-silver-sparkly bracelet.

 _White gold, ceramic and diamond? Well done Baratheon, you surely know how to celebrate a 21th birthday!_

"Anyway, Margaery was still in the shower when we got back - Loras continued -, so we started playing and it's time to join! Never have I ever hooked up with a model. Cheers, sis, everyone remembers the Burberry afterparty last september."

"Go to hell" - Margaery muttered and took her shot of vodka by one big sip. The hard liquor burned down her throat all the way to her stomach, her eyes teared up a little too. At least it tasted quite good.

"You too, Theon?!" - Loras looked at Theon with his eyes widened as he emptied a glass too.

"Am I looking like someone who cannot seduce a model?!" - he gritted between his teeth as he was lighting on a cigarette. _This room will need LOTS OF fresh air after this. Seriously, we aren't in the fucking 80s!_

"Of course not, those ocean green eyes of yours, for instance… "

"Okay, okay, thanks - he cut him off. - So, what's the plan?"

"We're only waiting for the limo that gets us to the venue, Dad told me the driver would call me when he arrives. The boys are already there, they texted me not long ago, so they'll probably be warmed up too, the girls, however, are still getting ready, and we still have a half bottle of vodka, soooo…"

"I say let's continue with the newbies, your turn, dear sister!"

"Me? Okay… Hmm, I'll be soft at first, never have I ever been to Mexico!"

"Am I drinking alone, or…?"

"Nooo, cheers mate! Team building, winter of 2012. You?"

"Countless times, Cancún was one of the paths in the cruise. My turn? Okay, never have I ever… I'll be soft at first too, never have I ever owned a Rolex. All of you, drink!"

"Screw you, Greyjoy… Never have I ever had sex under water. I mean, natural water, not shower or anything. Cheers, babe!"

"After summer you'll drink too, Snowflake."

"My turn! Never have I ever… dated with more people simultaneously."

"Yeah, you're a fucking knight… - Thirrin rolled her eyes at her cousin. - Cheers, guys."

"Didn't know I'm dating a saint! Never have I ever… Had a threesome."

"Cheater, that's easy for you! - Thirrin protested. - Am I drinking alone?"

"No, I'm joining too…"

"Save the detalis, I might kill the bitches."

"Deal. Margaery?"

"Out of curiousity, never have I ever played strip poker… What, ALL OF YOU?" - she exclaimed as everyone poured themselves a shot.

"Why, it's perfectly normal in college!"

"Or in between two shifts."

"Or in Braavos. Your turn babe!"

"Question, how do you play this? I mean, is it okay to say something you've done too?"

"You'll have to drink then too, obviously, but sure!"

"Okay, then… Never have I ever called someone on the wrong name while hooking up."

"You're such a jerk sometimes… That's something we have in common."

"Why am I a target too? It's Thirrin's birthday, not mine!"

"Not my fault you can be a proper fuckboy, Baratheon. I'm 1000% sure everyone will take a shot for this one, just to show the general equality in this room. Never have I ever danced on the top of the table!"

"So basic, Thirrin! There's always a point when you simply NEED to dance on top of a table."

"I know, right?! Your turn, Loras!"

"Oookay… Never have I ever woken up next to a total stranger."

"Who counts a total stranger?" - Margaery suddenly asked (while beside her brother everyone else filled their glasses).

"Wooohooo, what are you hiding, dear sister?"

"I'm just asking!"

"Total stranger: you wake up and you have no idea who's the person next to you" - Thirrin saved the day.

"Thank you."

 _Fuck, that was intense._

Luckily there was no more place for further suspicious questions: Thirrin's phone rang.

"Guys shut up! - she hushed them, answering the call. - Hello! Yes, I'm Thirrin Woodley - her tone changed back instantly to her normal, deep, calm voice. Thirrin had long years of practice behind her of mastering at looking and sounding sober. - You're already here? Wonderful, then we're coming! Just one question, do you have Dom Pérignon in the minibar, right? Perfect, thank you so much!" - she hung up.

"Has our ride arrived?" - Theon asked.

"Yes, so let's go folks!"

Margaery actually enjoyed the limo ride, though Theon might or might not have had to do something with it: he made sure her glass would always be full of champagne, therefore her mood got lifted up quickly and easily. After they had emptied the first bottle Margaery found herself not worrying about Thirrin nor about the whole night (as for her, she luckily seemed to stay in the third phase - after partying through their high school years Margaery still couldn't believe her cousin's high tolerance for alcohol, caffeine, nicotine and junk food).

They got off near the river. Thirrin lead the group to the boat, she could still walk straight in high heels despite the large amount of vodka and champagne she had consumed. As they reached the entrance bridge, they saw three incredibly thin and incredibly tall girls standing near the entrance, who greeted them cheerfully:

"Hello there, HAPPY BIRTHDAY THIRRIN!"

All the three girls had long hair in different shades of brown: light bronze, chocolate brown and ash brown; all had high cheekbones, nicely shaped lips and hazel or brown eyes. Nude nails, naturally clear skin, long legs: they couldn't deny they were models.

"Heeeey! Thank you for coming! - Thirrin hugged each of them. - Oh my God Meg you're looking FANTASTIC! I LOOOVE your outfit!" - she complimented the youngest, chocolate brown haired girl. _Perks of working in fashion, you can pull off a solid outfit 20 minutes before leaving._ Under her oversize woolen coat Megga wore a long sleeved, simple mauve dress, which was made of shiny material, with a pair of nude heels, statement silver earrings and a sparkly silver clutch.

"Really? Isn't it too much? I've got this dress from New York and I haven't got a chance to wear yet!"

"Told you sweetie, there isn't such thing as being overdressed! But honestly, all of you are so pretty!"- Thirrin answered, maybe too enthusiastically, but Margaery had to admit she was right: Elinor put her bronze hair into a messy ponytail which gave a nice twist to her black and white outfit, while Alla was rocking grey smoky eyes, wearing high heeled black ankle booties, a lavender-colored lace bralette-croptop, leather jacket and regular waisted boyfriend jeans, showing her small waist and nicely builded abs.

"I can see neither of you is thirsty - the latter commented with a mischievous smile as the girls greeted everyone else with quick kisses. - Have you been warming up?"

"No offense sweetling, but aren't you holding a bottle of champagne?"

"Unlimited champagne, Renly! I've been modeling since I was 14 yet still has a magical effect on me! Thirrin - Alla turned to her -, your classmates are soooo cute I can't!"

"Cute is the last word I would use to describe the boys, but if you say so… Also, don't you have a sort of boyfriend in… Paris, I guess?"

"It's nothing official, and whatever happens in London stays in London… - she winked. - Hopefully."

"It's none of my business, after all… How do you like the place?"

"It's AWESOME! - Alla exclaimed. - Such a relief after Japan, the Asian clubs aren't for me! The setting is super cool, the staff is nice and the music is simply KILLING it! "

"I KNOW, I can't wait to dance my shoes off to Arctic Monkeys!"

"Okay, I guess we should get inside! - Elinor suggested. - I'll go first and inform the others the birthday girl has arrived!"

The small group walked into the dark, kind of casual club. Since it was quite early, people were sitting at their tables chatting and drinking while instrumental music was playing in the background.

Of course, Elinor lead them to the loudest and most cheerful table: looked like not only the girls, but also Thirrin's classmates had really been taking advantage of the unlimited champagne. _Not that I wouldn't do so, however…_

As soon as they reached the table, a tall, short haired girl hugged Thirrin excitedly while everyone screamed a loud HAPPY BIRTHDAY THIRRIN. Robb was already there too, Margaery couldn't _not_ search for him immediately in the crowd. Brown eyes met blue, glancing with delight. She gave him a smile from distance, and leaving her cousin in the circle of her friends, receiving congratulations (which also contained having more shots and/or champagne), she left to the bar to catch up. She was about to order when she felt two arms around her waist, thick, musk and cedar scent in the air and hot breath on her neck:

"Hello, my rose" - Robb placed a soft kiss on the back of her neck, which gave her goosebumps all over her body.

"Good evening, my wolf" - she turned around, kissing him on the lips softly. She definitely had to admit Robb looked smoking hot in every kind of attire, in this case in smart casual, wearing dark slim fit jeans, brown leather combat boots and dark blue shirt with the sleeves folded up and one or two top bottoms left open.

"I'm so glad to finally see you! You look beautiful tonight."

"Me too, and you also look very handsome, as always. Have you congratulated to my dear cousin?"

"Sure, twice actually, on Tuesday Thirrin was like "Guys we need to celebrate now too!", so we all spent our lunch break in a pub - he laughed. -So the birthday girl seems to really enjoy the night" - both looked into the direction of their table where apparently _everyone_ was taking a shot of something with Thirrin.

"Oh yes - Margaery agreed -, I guess the main reason is the elderberry vodka and _Never have I ever…_ "

"I only had a few parties with her, yet I'm not surprised at all, how is it possible? Well, I don't know about you, but I, on the other hand, still could use some drinks, so… Two glasses of champagne, please!" - he waved at the bartender.

"Thank you - she smiled. - So how was your first week at school?"

"Feels like everything just continues from the point we've been last semester, except someone always mentions not to forget thinking about our thesis, that's all. Yours?"

"Same here, but I still think it's gonna be a bit harder than the last one, but maybe because now I do more things beside school than before. Well - she lifted up her glass of champagne-, to Thirrin, may she be as… "

"...as Thirrin as ever - he finished the sentence. - I really needed this nightout, I guess, it's been such a stressful week."

"That's why I haven't seen you at the gym and you go to pubs in between two classes?" - she asked in a playful tone.

"I've been at the gym twice this week! - he protested. - We just must have avoided each other."

"Show me your hand - she took his left hand, tracing her fingers on his palm. - It's getting more cracked. You're taking it seriously, it's showing, congrats" - she squeezed his hand.

"Thanks - he smiled back. - Though it would be more fun working out with you, we could try it out once."

"I've never done weight training before, but if you want to… "

"Don't worry, I've got a pretty good basic knowledge, so I can help you."

"We're talking about this later - she agreed. - Hey, don't you want to go outside a little? Because I'm not really in the mood for drinking vodka like there's no tomorrow."

"Excellent idea, because me neither - he let out a relieved sigh. - But wait… Could you give us a whole bottle of this? Thank you" - with that they walked out to the deck, which practically worked as open bar - even though it was winter lots of people were outside, mostly for a smoke.

The night wasn't that cold - the few weeks that reminded of actual winter had already passed, now it was time for the true London winter: wet, humid, cloudy, but not particularly cold, as if it was late autumn. The sky was covered by thick clouds, the stars didn't even show, and the light of the full moon faded too. The city lights, however gave enough brightness with millions of small, yellow lights of street lamps and buildings, reflecting on the dark, slowly flowing water.

"Oh, how much I love London! - Margaery exclaimed as she leant over the railing. - I've been to so many places yet I've never felt like the way when I feel like when I'm here."

"So you've never thought about living somewhere else?" - Robb asked while filling their glasses with champagne.

"Not really. Even though I can get comfortable basically anywhere part of me will always miss London. What about you?"

"I like it here but the more time I spend in the cit the more I realize I'm rather a small town person - he admitted. - That's why we chose the Northern Zone actually when buying flat, it reminds me of Oxford so much. I loved growing up there - a nostalgic glow appeared on his face. - Those brown and red buildings, coffee shops and pubs where you're greeted on your name, our school that was build around 500 years ago… So much history vibes."

"It must be wonderful."

"My sister always says it's like time was stopped in Oxford, it's kinda true… But back to the original subject, I don't know if I could anywhere else than the UK, I don't think so. I've been to lots of cities too, but I always felt like just a tourist. However, sometimes I envy people who can just casually change city without hesitation."

"I get you - she nodded, sipping on champagne. - That would be fun too, but I guess our state has its beauty as well."

"Definitely - he agreed. - More champagne? Or shouldn't I even ask?" - he added with a smile that she returned.

Again, she found herself wondering how it was that easy to talk to him about anything, alternating between casual and serious subjects in a completely natural way. The general atmosphere recalled memories of parties, so they shared those with each other laughing. Change of time only was measured by the amount of champagne which was left in the bottle. She was about to suggest ot go back for another round, but suddenly they saw four familiar looking people (two couple holding hands) coming to them and heard a _way too familiar_ , over-energetic voice.

"HEEEEEY! - Thirrin waved. - Oh gosh, you've been here the whole time? COME IN AND DANCE, IT'S AWESOME!"

"Thirrin's right! - a tall, curly, dark haired guy, who was dressed in all black, agreed. - Good to see you, bro! - he hugged Robb smiling, then turned to her. - I guess we haven't met yet, I'm Jon, Robb's brother."

"Margaery, Robb's date - she stayed on the safe side. - I've heard a lot about you!"

"I hope only good things!"

"Obviously, fiancé of the year! Margaery, hellooo, it's so good to see you! - Ygritte exclaimed, practically falling on her shoulders, which was strange from her, so Margaery figured she had been taking advantage of the unlimited champagne too, the bottle in her hand proved it. - You're both so pretty, why everyone here is so fricking pretty?!"

"Calm down Gingerhead and give me that bottle."

"NO, Greyjoy, I won't give you my champagne, get one for yourself."

"I tried, Stark… - he sighed. - Pass me the ligter!"

"Please not into my face… - Robb waved away the smoke which was coming from four directions. - What have we missed?"

"These two having a bounded moment when Time is Running out by Muse came on! - Thirrin laughed, pointing at Theon and Jon. - You were soooo cute!"

"What, that song is awesome, right? Muse IS fricking awesome!"

"Anything else?"

"We actually left - Thirrin continued - because a. all of us needed a smoke and b. we wanted to give Dacey some privacy, we're dancing like the three of us, Dacey, Ygritte and I, when this hot Viking guy comes to the dancefloor and the next thing I see is he's hooking up with Dacey!"

"Vikings are the fricking best, right, love? - Ygritte commented You're about to marry one, after all!"

"Wait, you're…?" - Margaery's eyes widened.

"Half Scott half Icelandic, haven't I mentioned it?!"

"Probably not baby, you usually bring it up when you're drunk."

"I'm NOT EVEN DRUNK!" - she protested.

"Yes you are, shieldmaiden, so give me that bottle, I wanna keep up with you" - with that he simply took the bottle out of her hand.

"You're giving it to him?! - Theon exclaimed. - Why didn't you give it to me?"

"Because he's the one I have sex with regularly."

"That's reasonable, you have to admit… Okay, since it's my birthday, even if it was officially on Tuesday, so it's my birthday, therefore I'm the boss, therefore I dare you to come inside with us and get crazy and dance like there's no tomorrow! But first… Selfie time! - with that Thirrin took her phone out of her pocket. - Look, I've got this phonecase with the selfie lightning, I love turning 21! Okay everyone, come here!"

Somehow she managed to take a decent picture of the six of them, so all agreed she can upload it to social media.

When they got back to the dancefloor, a new song had just started playing, beginning with slow drums, and a man was singing in low voice: " _I wanna be your vacuum cleaner/Breathing in your dust…"_ The captivating melody called for a slow dance.

His hands were sliding down from her waist through her spine to her butt as he was pulling her closer. She slid one hand to his chest while the other was digging deep into his thick auburn curls. Their bodies swang in perfect sync to the slow rhythm, their noses touched, the distance between their lips became shorter by each second. She completely lost in the depth of blue eyes, she could smell nothing but his sharp, musk and amber scent, his boiling hot skin set her on fire.

"I wanna be yours" - both whispered along the lyrics, then he leant down and kissed her hard. Maybe they hadn't met that week, maybe for another reason, Margaery felt like he'd never kissed her with such passion and desire before. She could feel his heartbeat fastened, his warm tongue took over the dominance, his cracked lips pressed against hers, his hands possessively held her as if someone would try to steal her…

"I want you… - she whispered almost unconsciously when they parted for a second. - Now…"

"What if we continue at home?"

Margaery hesitated for a second, her eyes wandering around the place, searching for Thirrin, but as soon as she made sure her cousin was okay (Thirrin and Theon were making out so intensely she couldn't tell which hand belonged to who) she nodded and followed Robb out of the crowd.

The next thing she knew that they were making out in the back of a taxi, driving to the Northern Zone. She was sitting on his lap, his hands already reached under her dress, caressing and grabbing her thighs and butt. She couldn't help but kiss him deeper, digging her fingers in his auburn curls, grinding against him, feeling him growing harder.

He buried his face into her neck as he was pulling her closer, she felt his warm tongue and hard teeth against her thin, delicate skin: she knew she would have marks later but she didn't care. _I belong to no one but Robb._

"Hold on, my rose - he whispered, his lips brushing her earlob softly. - We'll get home soon…"

However, he didn't seem to hold on as his fingers were sliding under her dress slowly, gently touching her thighs through the silk stockings, until he reached the edge of the top lace part, continuing his way on her bare skin all the way to her panties, and started rubbing her through the silk. She let out a soft moan, then another, then another. He only stopped when the car was slowing down.

Getting out of the car felt like waking up from a dream. Margaery looked around the area as she followed Robb to one of the similar semi-detached houses: all of them were built of red bricks, had a small front yard, and nice, country-ish vibe, as if they weren't close to the heart of London.

There was no time for getting lost in reality. As soon as he managed to open the door he pulled her inside and kissed her again passionately. She closed her eyes, she didn't see anything, only felt his hands all over her body, heard herself kicking down her heels, tasted his mouth with her tongue. He practically dragged her upstairs, she followed him unconsciously, still kissing him like there was no tomorrow.

As soon as they got into a bedroom he started pulling down her dress by the ruffled shoulder part, following his movements with kisses along her jawline, down on her neck and collarbone area.

Her shaky hands bottomed down his shirt, caressing his muscled core, her fingers following the uneven lines of freckles on his skin. His breath became heavier and faster as she reached his belt, unhooked it too, and her soft, but still strong and skilled hands were caressing him through his jeans. As a response he cupped her boobs between his hands, his boiling hot, cracked skin burned hers, she lost every sober thought, the only thing on her mind was " _Oh Stark please fuck me"_

As if he read her mind he pushed her to the bed. His eyes were narrowed, burning with passion, lust and impatience.

"I swear to you - his words almost disappeared in his heavy breathing -, I won't stop until your legs are shaking and the neighbors know my name"

With that he bent over her, kissed all over her body, starting from her neck through her breasts until her hips, his lips and teeth leaving red marks, then with one strong movement pulled down her delicate silk panties and buried his face between his thighs.

She only could react with a loud scream as his tongue and his lips touched her, first teasing her, playing with her, then kissing and licking her.

Her breathing turned into loud moans, she grabbed on his hair, she felt the warm, dizzy sensation in her toes, she didn't even want to keep back herself. He held her hips on place while going even harder, driving her closer to the edge.

"Oh fuck, Robb... - she sighed. - It's... Awwww!" - she was about to cum, the strong sensation filled her from head to toe, centering around her lower abs, ready to explode... When he stopped.

She looked up to him questioningly, but he only gave her a smirk.

"Don't you want to finish what you've begun, my wolf?" - she asked.

"Not yet... - he answered as he was pulling down his boxers. - I want you to cum with me, my rose... "

He knelt in front of her, ready to get inside her. Margaery didn't hesitate for a moment grabbing him by the shoulders and pushing him down to the bed so she could be on top.

"Then let me be in control now" - she gave him a smirk as she let him enter her with his hands on her waist.

First she moved her hips so slowly she could see the torture on his face, but then she went faster as the strong sensation took over their feelings again. Their hips moved in sync, she let him going deeper and deeper, he reached down to her hands and pulled her closer, their bodies pressed against each other completely.

"I'm so close... - Robb whispered. - Cum for me, my rose... "

She responded with a deep kiss as she gave herself to the explosion.

When she opened her eyes, they were laying next to each other with her hand on his chest. He was caressing her tangled hair lazily as she looked up to him smiling.

"You're so fucking good, my rose" - he placed a kiss on her forehead.

"I could say the same, my wolf" - she wrapped her arms tighter around him.

Only the full moon gave some lightning to the room, they forgot about turning on the lights.

She was studying his face silently. His messy auburn curls were shining with warm, bronze-red light as if he was wearing a crown. He had strong jawline, defined eyebrows and light auburn third day stubble, a little more red than his hair. His nicely shaped lips were curved into a dreamy smile. His glance met hers.

"You okay?" - he asked.

"Sure, I'm just wondering why we ended up at your place. I guess ours is a little closer…"

"We always end up at your place, I thought it's time for you to get to know mine."

"I see - she only reacted, but inside she was jumping by joy. _A man who takes me home after getting serious, is that even real?_ \- Robb, don't you… Have some food available? I barely ate today" - she changed the subject.

"I guess we do, in fact I guess we've got wine too, want some?"

"Thanks, why not?"

He nodded, got out of the bed and quickly put on his boxers and a pair of loose grey sweatpants. She searched for her panties in the pile of clothes too, but instead of putting back her dress she took his shirt and put it on, knotting the bottom part above her hips and folding up the sleeves a little more.

"Fuck, you're so sexy - he said with a proud, mischievous smile. - Let's go."

"Wait, can I have stupid question? Is there a hairtie here? I didn't prepare enough, I'm afraid."

"No idea, you can check it out in the bathroom or in Theon's room… Did you know that Thirrin is slowly moving in basically?"

"Same here, last time I did laundry I found random male stuff in the laundry box… So that's Theon's room, right?" - she pointed at a door.

Robb nodded.

She walked in, turning on the lights. She found herself in the messiest room ever, piles of clothes on the floor, a shelf full of tiny souveniers all from different parts of America, a map on the wall, some places marked with thumbtacks, the desk covered by textbooks, large pieces of paper, notes, drawing tools. On the bedside table there was a framed photo of Theon and Thirrin, just a simple selfie, but both were smiling happily. However, she saw clearly she wouldn't be able to find a hairtie there, so she left.

"Any success?" - he asked.

"Seriously, how the heck can anyone find anything in that room? I'll check the bathroom."

Their bathroom was much smaller then the one in the girls' flat, but at least it looked quite organized, so she could find what she wanted: a complete shelf was occupied by a small selection of the exact same beauty products Thirrin was using, including a Tangle Teezer brush, some bobbypins and hairties. She brushed her soft brown curls quickly and put her hair into a loose, messy bun.

"I'm ready."

"Great! I'm saying in advance we usually don't have anything normal, but I hope we'll be lucky this time."

The first thing that caught Margaery's eyes in the small kitchen was exactly the fridge: one couldn't even see its actual color, its whole surface was covered with notes, photos and magnets: group pictures, single ones, sceneries, typical souvenir magnets from all over the world. At first she could distinguish one from Croatia, one from Italy, another from Florida, another from New York and from Greece. She stepped closer to take a better look at them. The notes weren't that relevant nor interesting (to-do lists, shopping lists and post-it messages, such as " _Pls do my laundry too! Thx, T." "Don't use up ALL the coffee! Thx, R."_ and so on), in contrary with the photos. Most of them must have belonged to Theon as they showed exotic, beautiful places: white sand, palm trees, turquoise sea, colorful flowers. Some others were taken of urban areas, she didn't recognize all of them, only New York, New Orleans and Miami. There was a group picture too, taken of around a hundred people, all dressed in the same uniform, in front of a large, white cruise boat. She found Theon in the centre of the front row: his hair was a little longer back then and even lighter and messier. He also seemed tanned, as much as strawberry blonde haired, pale skinned people are able to tan.

However, she found a family photo the most captivating. It must have been taken around Christmas as in the corner a large, tastefully decorated Christmas tree was placed. She counted eleven people on the photo: Robb, his parents, his siblings, plus Ygritte and Theon.

 _Such a charming, harmonic family_ \- she reflected as she was staring at the picture. She found Robb immediately, he'd been sitting between a gorgeous, auburn haired woman who had the same sky blue eyes as him and Theon.

"Last Christmas - he stepped beside her, putting his arm around her waist. - Wait, no, not last Christmas, the year before… 2014. This is probably the most solid picture of us - he laughed. - This is my Mom and my Dad - _Oh Gosh, he looks like Jon so much…_ -, that's my sister Sansa, my other sister Arya - he pointed first at a delicate, auburn haired girl and a small brunette. - My little brothers Bran and Rickon - _Looks like auburn hair and blue eyes run in this family._ \- And you know everyone else."

"You all seem so nice - Margaery smiled. - You have a cute flat, by the way, it's very… You."

She meant it: the boys' place had warm, cozy vibes yet it was neat at well-organized, as much as she'd seen. She only realized then she didn't even remember how Robb's room looked like.

"Okay, let's see what we have" - he opened the fridge door.

The sight of shelves wasn't as devastating as she'd expected: beside some leftovers and several bottles of beer, wine and liquor in the bottom section, there were some basic ingredients too, so she already had a plan.

"Robb, could you give me a skillet, a bowl and a fork, please?" - she turned to him.

"Sure… - he answered in an uncertain tone. - May I ask what you're gonna make?"

" _Omlette du fromage!_ " - she informed him as if it wasn't obvious.

She took some eggs, cheese and milk out of the fridge.

"I suppose you don't have coconut oil" - she added.

"Correct, but there's some olive oil or butter, whatever you prefer."

"Good" - she nodded.

Cooking always helped her relax and cooking for _someone special_ made it even better. She started heating up some butter the skillet while whisking some eggs with a little bit of milk. Making omlette at around 3 AM in your sort of boyfriends's kitchen, wearing your sort of boyfriend's shirt - sounded crazy but felt incredibly normal.

"As for the wine I've been talking about earlier - Robb took two glasses form the cupboard -, we've got chardonnay, carbernet sauvignon and… Well, I don't remember buying this rosé, but it's here too. Which one do you prefer?"

"Is the rosé dry or sweet?"

"It's dry."

"Then open it" - she smiled at him.

He filled in both of the glasses while she continued whisking the mixture of eggs, milk and some seasoning, then, when she found it good enough, poured it into the hot skillet and turned down the heat.

"Already smells great - he hugged her waist from behind. - I think I'll keep you, my rose" - with that, he placed a soft kiss on her neck.

"I bet no one has made you omlette in the middle of the night" - she said playfully.

"True, so cheers for that!"

Both took a sip of wine, exchanging a relaxed, happy smile.

She stayed by the counter, occasionally checking on the omlette, he excused himself to search for his phone, but he returned in a minute.

"Theon texted me - he scrolled through the notifications. - _Where the hell did you disappear?_ I'll text him that we're at our place, so they can go to yours. Oh, and here's your stuff too - he handed her a small, golden box clutch. - Would you like me to write in the WiFi password?"

"Ohh, thank you, that's so sweet… - she gave him her rose gold phone. - Thirrin texted me too, _You should have said goodbye at least!_ \- she sent a short reply, making her cousin sure she was okay. - Well, at least they noticed we're missing."

"Don't believe they're that disappointed, Theon doesn't even text me back…" - he commented.

"Neither does Thirrin… Hey, could you lay the table, please? Food is almost ready!"

She carefully placed some slices of cheese on one half of the omlette and flipped the other half over it. The cheese melted in moments, so she cut the omlette in halves and put them on the plates.

Both sat down to the table and started eating in a comfortable silence - Margaery only realized then how hungry she'd been the whole day. Again, she found herself thinking about how random this whole night - or for that matter, her whole _thing_ with Robb - was, she'd never been this spontaneous before, but he managed to change it in weeks.

As if he read her thoughts, he suddenly looked straight into her eyes:

"It's amazing, thank you… And… - he reached for her hand on the table. - I know we happened kind of quickly and unexpectedly, but… - a light blush appeared on his face, seemed like he couldn't find the right words to express himself. - I've really really have been enjoying my time with you, and I'm also looking forward for more, so… Thank you for this, too" - he finished with a shy smile.

"Khmm… I'm sorry, but are we a _we_?" - the question left her lips unintentionally.

"It's been quite obvious for me" - Robb said as a matter of fact.

She couldn't formulate a better answer than standing up and kissing him.

* * *

The next morning Margaery woke up first, Robb was still sleeping next to her, lazily wrapping one arm around her waist. She couldn't help but spread a wide smile on her face as she was watching him. His expressive face that could reflect so many emotions was calm and still, as if all of his problems had flown away.

 _Oh how can you be so wonderful?_

She carefully reached for her phone: she figured she could scroll through everything, catching up with the world until he wakes up too. Lots of notifications had been waiting for her, all from the groupchat of the girls. She opened the earliest: it was a photo taken of nicely arranged pile of pancakes, a jar of Nutella and a huge mug of coffee.

 _Thirrin sent a photo_

 _Thirrin: Who has the best boyfriend ever? Life advice roses, date someone who can cook_

 _Meg: OMG Thirrin don't torture me, I mustn't even look at Nutella! Your party was awesome btw!_

 _Thirrin: Thanks, you know that partying with me is always fun!_

 _Alla: Girls I'm sorry I disappeared with that guy!_

 _Meg: Don't be baby, you had a great night, hadn't you?_

 _Alla: I actually had! I'm on my way home from him. How long did you stay?_

 _Thirrin: UNTIL CLOSING, isn't it obvious? So what comes now? Do you want someone kinda permanent here in London too?_

 _Meg: At this point I would be happy with someone permanent in fucking Australia, tbh. Unfortunately the guys I work with are usually interested in EACH OTHER_

 _Thirrin: The struggle is real_

 _Meg: Shut up Thirrin, Theon treats you like a queen and even if you broke up you could get together with one of your hot classmates_

 _Thirrin: Pls, I adore the guys but I couldn't get together with neither of them_

 _Alla: BOTH OF YOU SHUT UP! LOOK WHAT I'VE FOUND! Margaery, wake up sunshine, you're on the news!_

 _Alla sent three photos_

Margaery almost screamed when she opened the photos, one by one. All of them were screenshots of different news sites, with similar headlines, illustrated with photos: the group shot Thirrin had uploaded to her Instagram page the previous night, plus some others too, taken of Robb and her, standing on the boat.

" _Spotted: Margaery is finally taken!"_

" _The Young Wolf and the brightest Golden Rose: a new alliance or true love?"  
_ " _Breaking news: Margaery Tyrell's heart is stolen!"_

She didn't read the full articles, only looked them over quickly: luckily none of them claimed anything unreal or stupid, but the fact itself was enough that half of London had already been talking about them.

She quickly texted back, with her fingers shaking:

 _Margaery: My morning would have been complete without these too_

 _Meg: I've just scrolled through my Facebook feed, you would have run into these there anyway_

 _Margaery: True… But you know, I kinda wanted my parents to get to know about Robb from MYSELF_

 _Thirrin: Move on sweetie, a little extra publicity never hurt nobody. Btw you look cute on those pics_

 _Alla: Yeah, and I'm sure no one will mind that you're dating a nice and handsome guy from an old family_

 _Margaery: Not that… Whatever. Talk to you later!_

She locked the screen, put her phone back to the bedside table and collapsed back to the pillows. It was impossible falling asleep again: her eyes stayed wide open, her heartbeat fastened, all of sudden lots of things were on her mind.

If there was a time she wished to be less popular, less London's unofficial princess, it was then. With everything that'd been waiting for her and Thirrin in the next few weeks she wanted Robb to stay out of possible dramas, therefore she didn't want to show off her newborn relationship so soon.

 _He doesn't need this. He's so pure, so honorable, he's too good person for this world_ \- she thought. - _And ultimately, that could screw up everything, and I don't want to ruin this… I don't want to ruin us. Okay, focus Tyrell_ \- she bit on her bottom lip, trying to figure out a solution. - _You're freaking studying how to handle press. Though managing a brand isn't exactly the same as managing a relationship… Maybe if you take a cute breakfast selfie and upload it with a nice caption… See, you're known to solve problems quickly, after all…_

She suddenly felt touch of cracked lips on her neck:

"Good morning, my rose" - Robb whispered, his voice still a bit raspy.

"Morning… - she turned around smiling at him and took a deep breath. - Robb, there's something you need to know and it's better to know it from me."

"What is it?" - he raised his eyebrows.

"Well… We're on the news" - she gave him her phone, showing the screenshots.

"WHAT THE… - he suddenly seemed so much more awake. - Oh fuck… I bet my sister will call me in like half an hour… - he sighed. - Well, at least they say I look like "a gentleman" and "Britain's new favorite couple might have born". They could have written worse things. Plus we look great on that picture, don't you think?" - he handed her back the phone.

Margaery didn't expect this. She'd always known Robb to be someone who liked keeping his relationships personal.

"Sooo… you're saying you don't mind being spotted and people talking about your private life?" - she asked.

"I'm definitely not happy about it, but it's better to smile and accept it. If it comes with being with you, do I have any other choice? - he smiled at her encouraging. - I can pull off a very pleasant personality, trust me, so I don't think we'll have problem with the press."

She still wasn't fully convinced.  
"You've never been a celebrity before, have you? Then how do you know that?"

"Strategy, marketing… I think I kinda understand how those things work, I go to university for a reason. Plus it might be in my blood. My aunt was a celebrity."

"Yes, I know… Then… - her lips curved into a smile. - Welcome to my life, Robb Stark."


	41. Chapter 41

**A/N: While reading this chapter I strongly recommend listenting to Ed Sheerand, especially these songs (in random order): Runaway, The City, One, Photograph, Drunk, New York, Wake Me Up, Sofa, I'm a Mess, Kiss Me, Let It Out**

The ink was turning darker on his skin, at the same time the redness was passing by as he was gently spreading a cooling cream on the fresh wound: a detailed drawing of a frigate had just been tattooed on his left forearm.

Miami, Jamaica, London. Three places, three milestones, three tattoos. The kraken, the motto, the boat, all with the same meaning: independence, freedom, _life._ All connected to the ocean, to the sea: even after living in London for two years Theon couldn't give up on his faith. _Someone who belongs to the ocean belongs to everywhere and nowhere._ But these were symbols of a fresh, clean start, of something new: he had got the first one before beginning of his first job on a cruise, the second one when he decided to apply to university, and the third… Well, the third one was special because of the person whom he had gone to the tattoo salon with.

"Theon, could you help me, please?" - he suddenly heard Thirrin's voice from downstairs. He got off his bed and walked down to the kitchen.

"What can I do for you?" - he stood in the door as she was searching for something in the fridge.

"Could you take them up? - she turned to him, pointing at two pizza boxes on the table. - Have you decided what we're watching?"

"Yes, I thought we should give a shot to _How to get away with murder_."

"More law into my life, really? - she raised her eyebrows half joking half serious. - But okay, I'm in. Let's go, I'm so hungry!" - she added and took a huge water bottle out of the fridge.

"You're ALWAYS hungry, Snowflake" - he pointed out smirking.

"Pain consumes lots of energy! - she protested while walking upstairs.

Earlier that day Thirrin got something new too: a small word written in delicate handwriting to the back of her right thigh. _Lust._ It was her birthday present from him, because he knew she had been planning on getting another tattoo too.

"Does it still hurt?" - he asked her as they were arranging themselves on the bed.

"No, it's getting better, that cream actually works" - she assured him.

"Good. Also, you promised you would explain why the word _lust_."

"Seriously, Greyjoy? I thought you would figure out by now! _The rest of us…"_

" _... is lust and stardust_ \- he finished the quote. - I should have known, you're right!"

"Correct. But actually there's one more reason - she added. - I've always felt like lust is my sin" - she admitted with a faint smile.

At first he didn't understand what she was referring, then he figured she was probably thinking of the seven deadly sins.

"So many things has happened to me because of lust. You're one of them - she looked at him, her cold ice blue eyes warmed a little,

that didn't happen often. - If I hadn't had a phase when I slept with everyone who can be called a little handsome, I wouldn't have gone out to random bars and I wouldn't have met you. I love you, Greyjoy" - she placed a soft kiss on his lips, squeezing his hand.

"As I love you, Snowflake" - he replied with a kiss on her forehead, wrapping one arm tight around her shoulders.

"And you? - Thirrin asked back after. - Why the boat? You had more designs prepared."

"Because I fucking miss the sea - he blurted out. Theon loved living in London, except he often felt like he was closed into something, he needed to be near open sea. - I miss waking up to salty breeze, I miss sitting on a cliff listening to the sound of waves, I miss seeing no greenland, just water around me… Sometimes, when I feel like I can't take any more I want to go back to the cruise company. But then I remember I started school for a reason, so I usually just take a train to Brighton and chill on the beach - he sighed. - The sea gives me energy, I guess."

Thirrin slowly nodded. Theon didn't know how much she could understand his passion for the sea, but at least she accepted it.

"We could do a mini holiday to the beach, to somewhere nice - she suggested. - Both of us need to escape from the city from time to time."

"Indeed. But now let's have dinner, babe!" - he started the player on his computer.

As they were eating and watching the show, with their legs tangled in each other, shoulder against shoulder, he recalled their first times together: one of them would go over the other's place, after some "I hope you're okay" - kind of short conversation they would have sex, then they would order some food and they would watch something or talk for another hour. Though they liked going out and doing _real and sort of adult_ dates or having a nightout with friends (he had already introduced Thirrin to his friends from university), their favorite activity still was staying in with food and TV shows, just enjoying each other's company. He couldn't have imagined a relationship like this before.

"Okay, I like this stuff - Thirrin said after finishing the first episode. - You don't have class in the morning, do you?"

"You're suggesting to pull a binge-watch session?" - he smirked.

"You're in or not?"

"Of course I'm in, Snowflake!"

"Great, I'll take these down and bring some cookies" - she jumped off the bed.

In the meantime he checked his phone to see if anything had happened in the past hour, replied to messages and looked at social media. He was lazily scrolling though his Instagram feed when the screen suddenly changed, the red and green buttons flashing on the black background and a name appeared, written in white letters: Asha.

"Hey, sis" - he answered the phone shortly. The last thing he wanted was a chitchat with his sister.

"Hey, little brother - her cynical tone never changed. - I need to talk to you."

"But you're in Spain now, right? Why couldn't you just text me?"

"I'm actually at the airport of Belfast."

"Wait, you came back?"

"I had to talk to Father, right after he… - she started. - Wait, you don't even know about it, right? We've been excluded from the family legacy. Both of us."

"What the fuck?!" - was the only thing he could react. He was shocked and not at the same time: the moment he left Northern Ireland he gave up on his father and the other way around, but as far as he knew he didn't have any reason to give up on Asha as well.

"That goddamned motherfucker uncle Euron talked him into it - she explained, her tone furious. - Both of us left, they took it as giving up on the family."

"They're sort of right in my case" - he pointed out.

"I know, but not in mine! - she exclaimed. - I tried to talk to Father, I told him he fucking AGREED in me going to Barcelona to gain experience but you can imagine how much success I had with that bastard there… Uncle Euron said I'm just a girl, therefore I can't run a business, my place is in the kitchen, all that bullshit. It's so obvious he wants the whole thing for himself, but Father doesn't see it. I pissed out, packed the rest of my stuff and left. I'm waiting for my flight back to Barcelona."

"What are you going to do now?" - he asked.

"I have a secure job on the ship, I have my own crew… I'm staying in Spain for a while - she sighed. - I won't let it go, though, I'll get what I deserve. I just have to figure out how."

"I'm sorry for what they did to you."

"Don't be. I suppose you'll stay in London for good now."

"Exactly. There wasn't any particular reason for me to go back there anyway. London is my home now."

"Sure, I saw the redhead… - he could almost see her smirking. - Then be safe and good luck for school. Oh, and… - she added. - If you happen to be in Barcelona some time, I'm in for a coffee or some sangria."

"I'll keep that in mind. Have a safe trip back to Spain!"

He hung up. For some moments he was staring at the screen of his phone with empty eyes. He knew he was supposed to feel something, to be angry, sad, desperate, even relieved, _anything_ , but at the moment he felt absolutely nothing, it was too unexpected. He was sure in only one thing: he wouldn't return to Northern Ireland for a long, long time. Maybe never. He could successfully build a new life and leave behind all the humiliation, disdain and darkness. He wondered sometimes what his father and his uncles would say if they saw him, he always had a strong desire to show them what he achieved: attending a great college, living by himself, being appreciated. _They don't deserve it. They don't deserve to see a better myself._

He was woken up from his thoughts by Thirrin, who'd just came back.

"I found chocolate chip cookies and peanut butter cups - she threw herself to the bed. - Are we continuing?"

"It's over - he looked at Thirrin, not even trying to be less bold: facts were facts. - I'm officially out of the family."

Her jaw dropped, her blue eyes widened in disbelief.

"What happened, Theon?" - she asked worried.

"I've got disinherited" - he replied simply.

"Oh my God, I'm so sorry…" - he let her hug him tight, wrapping her arms around his neck. He embraced her back, pulling her to his lap, burying his face into her minty-scented hair. Their bodies sticked together so close he could feel her heartbeat against his.

"My sister just called me to tell me the news - he said, casually running his fingers through her curls. His voice sounded empty and emotionless. - She got cut off too."

"Wasn't it the thing that your father loves your sister?" - she raised her eyebrows.

"Yes, but… It's complicated - he sighed. - I don't get it either how he could turn away from her. She's staying in Barcelona."

"Oh. What about you?"

"What would be? I still have more than a year from school, then I'll have job opportunities here too, and I have a life anyway, so…"

 _Most importantly, I have you_ \- he added, but didn't actually say.

Thirrin slowly nodded while tracing patterns on the back of his hand with her thumb.

"I can't even imagine how you're feeling right now - she admitted. - So I can't say anything comforting or useful but if you want to talk about it… I'm listening."

"There isn't much to talk about - he shrugged. - But in short, the family business is run by my father and my three uncles work there too. My sister actually saw something in it, unlike me, so after finishing high school she started working there and she was claimed to be very good at her job. Almost two years after I had left Asha wanted some adventure in her life, so she went to Barcelona to work on cruise ships, just like me, except she didn't leave Europe. She was supposed to stay only for the summer, but her boss was so satisfied with her work that she was offered a full-year contract, so she stayed in Barcelona. She probably likes it for obvious reasons, so I get why she don't want to go back to Northern Ireland any soon. I don't blame her, I don't know how she can even consider returning there, but I guess my family thinks the opposite. She didn't deserve this at all."

She wrapped her fingers tighter around his and looked straight into his jade green eyes:

"You neither" - she only said.

"I don't care, Thirrin - he squeezed her hand. - I haven't talked to my father since my high school graduation and my life has only been getting better since then. I think my mother wouldn't even recognize me. The only person I keep in touch with is my sister."

"How did you reconnect?"

He sighed.

"I told you Asha had called me after the summer I had left, she had asked where I was, what I was doing, all that stuff and finally she asked me to come back. I obviously said no, and basically right after this I left for another cruise, so we didn't talk for a long time- after a 12 hours shift the only thing you want to do is sleep. Next time she called me was around December, she tried to convince me to go home for Christmas. Again, I couldn't even do so because I had already signed a contract for the holidays, but after that we ended up talking for so long like never before. Since then we call each other every month or so. Sometimes she still brings up the home subject, but other than that she's quite entertaining, so… I guess distance has done good for our relationship" - a faint smile appeared on his face. Now he felt a little eased - that was the usual effect of talking to Thirrin.

"Well, at least there's something good in this mess, right?"

"Yeah… - he chuckled. - Shit, I've never even showed you my sister " - he took his phone to search for a photo of Asha.

Thirrin looked at the screen, then at him. Theon only realized then how much they looked alike: same shape of face, same blue-ish green eyes with the cold undertone of the ocean, same confidence and arrogance in their glance.

"You can't deny she's your sister - she commented observing the picture. -. She seems such a… Strong girl."

"She surely is - he nodded. - I know she can get back her legacy. I think you two would like each other. Hey, wait a minute!" - he got off the bed and started searching for something in the drawer. Soon he found what he'd been looking for: a handful of old photos.

"When I moved back to the UK, Asha sent these to me with a card " _Don't forget where you came from."_ Just some pictures from the island I grew up, and from my childhood."

She carefully reached for a photo of a cragged beach. Dark, green-ish grey sea, light grey sky, grey rocks and cliffs: not the most friendly place of the world. She observed it for long.

"It's the view of our house - Theon explained. - The docks are a little far, but the connection with Belfast is quite good, you can easily get to the city."

He remembered taking the journey every day in high school for years, the morning ship that took him to a little freedom. Though he'd been listening to praising the sea in all of his life, he fell in love with sailing only then.

"I see. Oh, that's the mini you? - she exclaimed, taking another photo. This one was taken of a little boy around the age of five or six, standing on a cliff. He was skinny and small-framed, his skin unhealthily pale, his messy strawberry blonde hair undone. He had big green eyes, a little too big for the rest of his face. - You were so cute!" - she placed a kiss on his cheek.

"Thanks… ? - he chuckled. - I don't remember why we took this photo. Look, I'm older on this one, I guess I must have just started school" - he showed a Christmas picture: he was wearing sort of fine clothes and there was a small Christmas tree in the background, decorated with simple ornaments.

The pictures should have meant memories, given him a nostalgic feeling, or made him _feel_ something in general, yet as he was looking at them with Thirrin, he felt like all the captured moments happened to someone else and the little boy wasn't him: he really had started a new life the moment he had got on the plane to New York.

 _I was done with my father for years. He's been done with me for even longer. He just made it official now._

He looked at Thirrin: her eyes watered up, tears were running down her face silently. He held her close, tracing patterns on her back.

"Please, Snowflake, I'm asking you not cry for me - he whispered. - I'm over it, really."

"But it's so sad, you've been left with practically no family…" - she sobbed.

"I might not have family by blood, but I _do_ have a family by choice. I'm not alone in this world, not anymore. And actually, there's one thing I'm grateful to my father: he showed what kind of father I DON'T want to be if we ever have kids."

She stopped sobbing and looked into his eyes surprised.

"You want to start a family with me?"

"One day, yes - he nodded. - You can't say you don't want to raise with me beautiful kids with red hair and way too big mouth - he added with a smile in the corner of his lips.

Thirrin couldn't help but spread a smile on her face, taking his hand into hers.

"Of course I do. And I promise I'm always gonna be there for you, Theon."

"I love you so much, Thirrin" - he kissed her forehead.

Sense of relief grew stronger inside him. Despite the struggles of getting by alone in everyday life being independent was the best thing he achieved, and he got over the difficulties sooner or later, because as he said, he wasn't alone. Now he definitely didn't owe his father anything

" _...but rises harder and stronger."_


	42. Chapter 42

Thirrin had never felt like being such a combination of a university student and a business woman before: her large bag was full of the presentation material she had collected in the weekend, along with some handouts and assignments; she was rushing to a study session with Robb while she was on the phone with Missandei:

"...until this point 42 new orders have arrived, everyone is working like crazy, but we're afraid we won't be able to ship the bags in time!" - the girl's normally calm voice had a slight hysterical tone to it, Thirrin would have sworn she was looking at the incoming orders while talking to her.

"Sweetie, calm down, we rather should be thankful to Arianne Martell that she actually uses the stuff we sent her - she pointed out as she entered a café on campus. Robb noticed her immediately, he had been sitting by a table with his laptop open. Thirrin waved back and walked to him. - Simply put on the sold out banner - she continued the phonecall -, if you need to order anything, do it, you can even ask for 24 hours shipping, just please send me the receipts."

"Okay, thank you, Thirrin - she seemed calm down. - Can I call you if there's anything else?"

"Sure, I'm trying to help whenever I can. Also, please tell Dany Margaery is about to agree with MAC to be our official partner. But I have to go now, talk to you later!"

"Have a nice day, Thirrin!" - she hung up.

Thirrin threw her bag on a chair and after taking down her coat and scarf sat down.

"Hey Stark - she greeted him. - What's up?"

"Nothing really, I've been doing French assignment while waiting for you - he shrugged. - Business is on fire?"

"Sort of, like two hours ago Arianne Martell got photographed while carrying one of our bags, and since she's pretty popular people started searching for that bag and the webshop basically exploded" - she explained.

"Should I know who she is?" - he raised his eyebrows.

Thirrin let out an annoyed sigh. _I'll write you a London High Society for Dummies book, Stark._

"Arianne Martell is the heir of the Martell Hotel&Catering group, she's on the 30 under 30 list, very clever and very popular. She's also one of the most beautiful women on Earth and Southern people aren't even my taste. Have you ordered yet?" - she changed the subject. Since they had their whole Tuesday mornings free, they decided they would dedicate it to the Business Law presentation, hoping they could make some headway. They chose the café instead of the library this time, so they could talk without disturbing anyone.

"No, I waited for you."

"You're such a gentleman, Stark! Okay, let's see this!" - she opened the menu. She was starving, in the morning she didn't have enough time to have breakfast, she only got a coffee in the underground station.

Soon a waitress walked to their table.

"Hello, have you decides what to order?" - she asked.

"Yes, can I have a prosciutto panini, a double cheese panini, a chocolate-blueberry muffin and an extra large americano?" - Thirrin said.

"Sure. You?" - she turned to Robb.

"I'd like porridge topped with fresh berries and a cappuccino."

"With regular milk, soy milk or rice milk?"

"Regual milk would be fine, thank you."

The waitress left.

"Margaery dragged you into the hell of healthy eating?" - Thirrin chuckled.

"Because eating everything greasy and full of sugar is so much better, right?" - Robb replied.

"Three letters, Stark, PMS - she closed the conversation. - Let's get started instead. Could you find something interesting?"

"You can't even imagine - he pulled a full binder out of her backpack. - Color-coded, sorted into three major groups: photos, articles, documents."

Her jaw dropped: he must have done an enormous job.

As if he read her thoughts, he smiled:

"I didn't do it alone. Sansa helped me going through that room - he explained. - I even spent Sunday night at home, I only drove back to the city in the morning. We stayed up and copied as much stuff as we could, so my parents wouldn't notice if something is missing. Not that anyone would frequently go into that room…"

"Oh, so that's why you didn't come back on Sunday… - she realized. - Thank you, Robb, that's impressive! Ohh, and… - she added. - How did your family react to you and Margaery being together?"

"Just the way I expected - Robb sighed. - Sansa was way too excited, my brothers didn't really say anything, neither did Arya. Mom was thrilled too, and proud, I guess… I mean she finally made sure my lovelife isn't a complete failure."

"Why would she think so?"

"CHRISTMAS, Thirrin, Christmas - he tried to close the topic as quickly as possible. - Anyway, at least Dad asked if it wasn't too early to start a new relationship, but all in all they are happy for us. Yours, for that matter?"

"My Dad's reaction was hilarious, _Tyrell and Stark on the next level_. Willas said he wants to meet you, but he's the nicest person on earth, so don't worry. Garlan said you seem okay so you don't need to meet another elder brother, he's studying in Paris anyway. Loras was totally freaked out that he didn't notice you two in the party, but my sweet baby has this habit of not seeing what's right in front of his eyes… I don't know about the others though, but only one person's opinion matters, and that's our Grandmother's."

"Sounds comforting, thank you Thirrin… - he replied sarcastically. - Also, _Tyrell and Stark on the next level_ , seriously?"

"Don't you appreciate my father's sense of humor?"

"I do, it's just so very like… You. It's so clear you're related. Anyway, what did you find?"

"Yesterday I visited Dad in the office, I looked into the archives, had a nice chitchat with him, and I collected some articles and photos, too. Also, I found out what my Mum had to do with this case - she added victoriously. - In mid 1994 Mum was the one who convinced Uncle Mace to take out all of our money from the House of Targaryen, she could predict they would fall soon and she was right because my mother was a fucking genius!"

"Wow! - Robb looked impressed. - At least we can cross someone from the list. How did you find it out?"

"It's simple, I asked my Dad. Communication in between family is very useful, don't you think?" - she winked.

"Shut up, Thirrin - he gave her a dark look. - Show me what you've collected."

"Just a moment - she pulled her laptop out of her bag along with a folder. - The articles are digital, the photos are traditional. I brought most of them just for fun, though, Dad gave me a bunch of photos that had been taken while he and Mum were at university, but there are some which worth to take a look at… Okay - she begun -, I narrowed down my research to Rhaegar Targaryen's lovelife, which surprisingly wasn't that scandalous, except for the cheating-with-the-muse part."

"Surprisingly?" - he asked.

"Robb, this man could get literally anyone. He looked gorgeous, he was filthy rich and on top of everything he was _loved_ by everyone. My father knew him, he met him a couple times in social events, as well as my Grandma and basically all of my family, and all described him as a kind, polite, clever man."

"So that's why it was such a big deal that he cheated on his wife with Lyanna."

"Exactly, But there's one more… Oh, thank you so much! - the waitress arrived with their breakfast. - It looks so delicious! - she took a bite of panini. - Where did I stop? - she continued with her mouth full. - Oh yeah, so there's a little twist in Rhaegar's perfect life" - she turned to him her laptop.

" _Gentlemen prefer blondes: the beauty queen and the young designer_ \- he read out loud the headline of a Sunday Times article from the late 80s. - What, he used to date Cersei Lannister?"

"That was brand new information for me too. They seemed pretty serious, people talked about marriage and all quite soon - their parents worked for the same brand, they could have continued what their fathers had begun."

"But they broke up, right? Wait, then we have a possible reason why Tywin Lannister wanted to fuck up the Targaryens… If they messed with his

daughter, he messes with their business."

"That's what I thought too. Everything seemed perfect, yet Rhaegar broke up with Cersei and after only few weeks… _Love as hot as sun and dragon's fire_ \- Thirrin opened another article. - These headlines are everything by the way."

"Sun? Wait, that's the Martells' symbol… So he got together with Elia Martell, like out of the blue? - Robb asked when he finished reading. - Okay, who am I to judge, but still… _The couple left the restaurant in absolute harmony and happiness…_ I don't know, this girl is half as pretty as the blondie."

"Blondie, I like it… - Thirrin laughed. - Look, Cersei Lannister is beautiful like a Roman statue, but she's an annoying bitch who thinks she's better than everyone. Rhaegar must have found it out and got rid of her. I asked my Dad about Elia Martell. He said she was nice, kind and pretty, but basically that's all, she was kind of average, the only thing that made her special was her legacy: she was a Martell, her family possesses a great fortune."

" _People always want to eat out, stay at hotels and drink. It's up to you how to satisfy these basic needs"_ \- this is how Thirrin's father explained her the key of the Martells' eternal success.

"Thirrin, is it possible that they got married because of financial reasons? - Robb asked while searching for a file on his computer. - There's this page about the incoming investments and here… - he showed her a diagram. - In April of 1990, when Rhaegar became creative director they got a big amount of money from the Martells."

"Good observation, because they got married in April 1990. Okay, those times were different, but you might be right. Also, there were gossips about growing distant from each other relatively early after their marriage."

"Just think about it, Thirrin! - Robb continued excitedly. - The family business might have been in serious need of money, the deal might have had to be sealed by a marriage, they could have got everything from the Lannisters but Rhaegar didn't want a complicated woman as a wife so he chose a simple one."

"It's reasonable, but he must have had regret his choice, Lyanna was quite complicated too. These are their wedding photos… Shit, this Rhaegar looked so freaking good, I would start a war for this man too… - Thirrin had to admit a young Rhaegar Targaryen was exactly her type: strong jaw and cheekbones, silky, light hair, just as platinum blonde as Dany's, same, interesting colored eyes, somewhere between sky blue and violet. - Anyway, like a year after their first child was born, a girl, Rhaenys, and in March of 1992 was followed by the second, a boy, Aegon. And we're arrived to the year when Lyanna Stark became face of House of Targaryen."

"Yes… - Robb searched for some photos in his folder. - Okay, so Lyanna started modeling at the age of 16, that seems pretty young for me…"

"It's completely normal, Robb - she interrupted him -, my cousins have been working as models since they were 14."

"Jesus… - he rolled his eyes. - Anyway, Lyanna's story is like a fairytale: she got discovered walking in the streets of London, got offered a contract and got sent to the runway in like two weeks. London, New York, Paris, Milan, she traveled the world. Burberry, Dior, Versace, Chanel, Ralph Lauren and counting more, face of the Chanel Mademoiselle perfume… - Thirrin was flipping through the old campaign photos as Robb was talking. - I see some parallels between her life and Rhaegar's, both earned quick success and people loved them."

"I wouldn't be so sure, IT girls only seem to be loved - she pointed out. - There are some rare exceptions, such as your girlfriend, but for instance I'm pretty sure half of London hates me. What do we know about her private life? I bet she started partying hard as soon as she became famous."

"Yes, there are some photos which prove it… - he showed her some polaroids. - Looks like models always do it wild… "

The blurred pictures were taken of some pretty, skinny, young girls, neither seemed older than 18. Thirrin recognized Lyanna immediately: she stood on the left side, with a burning cigarette in her hand, wearing a spaghetti strapped short dress and a black velvet choker.

"True, you saw the girls on my birthday… Anything else?"

"Well, apparently… Lyanna dated my father's best friend, Robert Baratheon. They were another favorite couple, the wild type… - he pulled out another photo taken of a young couple. The boy looked exactly like Renly, only he had bigger shoulders, while Lyanna seemed much more eased than on any other pictures. She really looked beautiful and happy. - I don't know, I think they looked good together. But it's kind of weird, I imagined Sansa dating Theon and… Nah."

"How lucky I am not being your sister - Thirrin smirked. - But I get you, Garlan used to act weird too when his mates were flirting with me or Margaery. But Lyanna cheated on Robert with Rhaegar, right?."

"Exactly. Lyanna and Rhaegar had a secret relationship for almost a year, they fooled with basically everyone in London… - he rubbed his head. - They must have got together around spring of 1992. Then, after a scandalous breakup and a cold divorce announcement they went public, but they seemed to divide the society. Some of them thought they were the most iconic couple in history of fashion, while in others' opinion, well… - Robb swallowed. - Lyanna was a cunning little slut, who, in order to earn more success, was ready to tear families apart."

"Why do people blame always the woman?! - Thirrin exclaimed. - I don't think Lyanna had to rape Rhaegar or put a spell on him… I asked Dad what they had thought about this, I mean, he and Mum. Dad said cheating is the worst one can do in a relationship so he had been kind of against it, but he had to admit they had made a nice couple. As for Mum, she didn't really favor this relationship either, but she never showed it in public as long as the Golden Rose Inc was partner of House Targaryen. They both liked Rhaegar, though, so they couldn't be fully against this relationship."

"I agree with you on this, I mean cheating depends on two people. I think none of them was a saint, Rhaegar left a wife and two children for a girl who wasn't even twenty, while Lyanna made a complete idiot of her brother's best friend."

"Agree - Thirrin nodded. - Robb, I've been thinking… About what could have been Miss Connington's purpose with this project, or why she had to give to us this topic. I couldn't find an answer, but I started to see some benefits. For example I haven't had such a deep conversation with Dad about Mum for a long, long time."

"It must be really hard to talk about her, I suppose."

"Indeed - she gave him a faint smile. - But it's always really nice. Now Dad told me how they had got together and such. They met at a Royal Business party when Dad was in the third year and Mom in the second. Their story is like it was written by Nicolas Sparks. Dad was obviously enchanted by Mom, she was beautiful, smart and kind, but Dad made a strong impression on her too… I think he looked like a Celtic warrior, untamed hair, beard, broad shoulders… He looks like that now too, he just has a decent haircut. So they met at that party, which was followed by some dates and the rest is history. Dad and Mum… They were a scandalous couple in a certain sense. Because…"

"Because your Dad wasn't part of this stupid elitist high society?"

"The Woodleys are actually a rich and ancient family - she explained -, but they're Northerners, and Scottish people are still despised in the eyes of

some members' of London high society. So Dad had to make a strong impression not just on our family, but on everyone else. Also, even though Dad was rich enough on his own, he never really liked living like the Tyrells. He was… A bit like you or Jon, I think."

Thirrin actually felt a little awkward while sharing things with Robb she didn't really like to talk about. She still didn't fully get used to them being friends of this level.

"I see… But I don't think Miss Connington wanted us to deepen our family relations, its chance is just a coincidence - he sounded sceptic. - Though there are too many coincidences in this case."

"True. Anyway - she changed the subject -, Dad told me another interesting story what actually has something to do with our task. He remembered

the exact date when Rhaegar expressed his… deeper interests in Lyanna."

"How?"

"It happened at the afterparty of the 1992 Autumn/Winter collection, Fashion Week. It was their first public appearance after he and Mum had got engaged. Dad even gave me a picture" - she showed him a photo taken of a young couple at their age or a couple years older, in front of a red wall with black dragons printed on it - it was taken at a Targaryen show. The man was tall and broad-shouldered, he had messy dark red hair and short, nicely kept full beard and light blue eyes, blue as ice. He was dressed in fine dark blue suit, his arms were wrapped around a petite girl's waist. Her long brown hair brushing her waist, shining with soft gold light, her smile wide, warm, happy and beautiful. Her heart-shaped face and her big brown eyes irradiated such kindness it seemed too much for this world. She was wearing a short silk dress with metallic heels and a vintage _Dark Sister_ bag - the same one Thirrin managed to borrow from time to time. Her small, elegant left hand was placed on his chest, clearly showing off a beautiful diamond ring.

"Are those your parents? - he asked, taking the photo from her hand. - They look so radiant… They genuinely seem to be in love."

"Ohh they were… - again, a sad smile appeared on her face. - I guess that's why Dad never remarried. Mum was his ONE, the only one. But enough - she shook her head -, I'll try to sum up the story. So Rhaegar always made his fashion shows very mysterious, no one knew who got into the show, or more importantly, who closed them. The model who closes a fashion show is usually a big talent or a superstar - she added explaining. - So this show was closed by Lyanna. Dad even remembered what she was wearing, a gorgeous silver gown with an extravagant shimmery flower crown made of blue roses. In the end, when all the models walked down the catwalk again, Lyanna came back with Rhaegar. The designer makes an appearance as well, kinda just saying hello to the audience. Dad said you could _see_ the air vibrating around them. There was an afterparty, too, where Rhaegar announced the next Targaryen IT girl, who was obviously Lyanna, he told things such as "I finally found the woman who can inspire my work the most" and "her captivating, exceptional beauty doesn't let me go", and when he called her on stage for greetings and such, they acted kinda flirty, and they were inseparable for the whole evening. So…"

"Wait - Robb interrupted her, his voice low and shaky. - You're saying this fucker made obvious basically in front of half of London that he wants to fuck Lyanna while his pregnant wife was at home?! Please say she was at home!"

Thirrin stared at him with wide eyes for a second, she never imagined faithlessness could make Robb so upset.

"Easy, Stark, she was at home - she assured him - Not everyone is that honorable as you are, remember this. But agree, that's kinda fucked up. So this was the show. What happened after that?"

Robb needed some time to calm down and be able to continue:

"Lyanna became permanent at House Targaryen, in the meantime she and Rhaegar started their secret affair. In spring of 1993, while still being in a secret relationship Rhaegar launched the Lyanna bag. How can someone be this disrespectful?! Anyway, as soon as Lyanna broke up with Robert Baratheon, this happened in May of 1993, they went public and Rhaegar and Elia separated. In the meantime Lyanna became even more famous, look… Perfumes, campaigns, fashion shows… But there's something I don't really understand."

"I'm listening."

"Okay - he took a deep breath -, so in September of 1994 Lyanna was supposed to be the highlight of the majority of the biggest fashion shows all over Europe but she cancelled all of them, she only shoot a campaign for House Targaryen, she stopped partying and showing off, she basically… Disappeared from the world. The last time she was seen in London was in October, then she went away. Rhaegar stayed, though, he was needed in the battles between the companies, those began in October of 1994 as we know well…"

"He died in the end of January 1995 in mysterious circumstances, just like the rest of his family. That's strange, and also is Lyanna's case… - Thirrin stared out of the window. - My Grandma said Lyanna had died in a hospital in Scotland, but what the hell had she been doing there, do you know that?"

"I only found one document - he nodded, taking a faded, thin file. - She checked into a certain St. Mary Magdalene Hospital in January 29th 1995 in Edinburgh, two days before Rhaegar's death, she must have got to know about it while in the hospital. Also, St. Mary Magdalene, what a coincidence… "

"Robb… - Thirrin's throat dried, turning everything upside down in her mind. - Are you sure she checked into this hospital?"

"Yes, here's the paper… - she carefully took it, complete shock reflecting in her blue eyes. - Thirrin, you're freaking me out, why are you looking at me like this?" - he asked confused.

"Robb, this is a private obstetrical clinic, the best one in Scotland. I was born there!" - she tried her best not to scream.

"Wait, then Lyanna… Lyanna was pregnant?!" - now Robb got just as shocked as she was.

"That would explain why she disappeared from public life" - she said, studying the file. It showed everything clearly.

"But… I didn't find any record about the baby. He or she must be around our age."

"If he or she is still alive - she added. - How there's no document about the baby?"

"I don't know, in fact I have a feeling there are some documents, only in a safe place where no one can find them. This one actually had been mixed into Lyanna's old contracts, that's why I found it. So Lyanna didn't commit suicide, she died while giving birth! Fuck, I might actually have a cousin somewhere in the world!"

"A cousin no one knows about, apparently. Daenerys said she's the only Targaryen who's left. But this fact puts everything into a new perspective. No offense, but I suppose you don't know much about childbirth."

"That's true - he admitted. - What do I need to know?"

She took a deep breath.  
"In a dangerous situation the mother is always prioritized. Always. If only one can be saved, that's the mother."

"Why?"

"I don't know, this is how they do it - she swallowed. - That's what happened to my family too. Mum went to way too early labour, she was six month pregnant only. There were complications and such, so the doctors had to make the obvious decision, and that was letting my sister die instead of my mother. But the physical pain and the grief was too much for her even though she was so strong, in a few days she passed away as well."

"Oh my God Thirrin, this is horrible… - he sighed. - What if that happened to Lyanna too? She lost her lover, she lost their child and if she was ill or something she simply gave up?"

"It's possible - she nodded. - But there's something else you need to know. The mother is always prioritized except one case: when she or someone else specifically asks for NOT prioritizing her. Sooo… What if Lyanna heard about Rhaegar's death before going in labour, and when something happened, she asked for saving the baby instead of her?"

"This is waaaay too movie cliché, but you could be right, Lyanna could be pretty much of a drama queen, so I can imagine her doing this… I don't know Thirrin, this is really fucked up. This means Rhaegar's and Lyanna's child is still alive, the girl or the guy is turning 21 in some weeks. Yet we don't have any name, we don't have any date, nothing. He or she might have been adopted, has now a different family name… And in case of adoption no one will give us any records."

"They must give you records, if you ask for them - she insisted. - I'm not 100% sure, but I think you can be considered close family, it's worth a try if you really want to get to know what happened to your aunt and your cousin. You can tell the files got lost or something, be creative. Hospitals keep copies of every record, so they probably can email them to you."

"Great, I think I give it a try - he nodded. - It might be important for the project anyway."

"You're right! I'm going to think how we can use this stuff, but I don't think we must put it into our presentation… I'm pretty sure in one thing though, this child must look absolutely gorgeous - she smiled, trying to ease the tensed atmosphere. - Anyway, Lyanna died in the St Mary Magdalene's. Do you know the exact date?"

"Yes and that' another very strange coincidence… February 8th 1995."

"Why is this strange?"

Robb took a deep breath, he also hesitated a bit, as if he wasn't sure he should say it. Finally he did, almost whispering the words:  
"Because it's Jon's birthday."


	43. Chapter 43

Margaery opened her mouth as if she wanted to say something but changed her mind and closed it immediately. She realized she couldn't react anything, she needed some time to process what she had heard before. It was absurd yet made sense what they had told, she had a hard time absorbing it.

She carefully turned her head to Theon to see his reaction. His green eyes widened and stared at Thirrin and Robb in disbelief. The two were waiting for some calming, comforting or useful words, she could see in their blue eyes they were beyond nervous, but they also seemed relieved - they didn't have to deal with it only by themselves.

All were sitting in the boys' livingroom - Robb on the couch between the girls and Theon in the large armchair -, and Thirrin and Robb had just told them what they might have discovered while doing research for their Business Law presentation.

Finally Theon broke the silence by bursting out laughing.

"Okay, now you can tell you were just kidding us!"

"This is serious, Greyjoy" - Robb's low voice hushed him.

He looked at Thirrin as if he expected her to save the day. Unfortunately she didn't.

"Robb's right - she nodded. - So what do you say?"

"Well… - Margaery started carefully. - If I understood everything correctly, you made this little investigation of yours and you have a theory which says that Lyanna Stark got pregnant with Rhaegar Targaryen's baby, that's why she went to Scotland and she died while giving birth, and you think this baby is Jon. Now you want to go to Edinburgh to get the files to prove your theory" - saying out loud didn't mean the story sounded less crazy.

"And we want you to go with us. I didn't imagine our first getaway like this, my rose - Robb added, turning to Margaery - , but I need answers and I need you for this" - he swallowed.

"We need both of you for this" - Thirrin corrected, but her eyes told the truth: in reality Robb was the one who needed support from both his best friend and his girlfriend.

"I called St. Mary Magdalene's earlier today - Robb continued -, and they told me they are ready to meet me on Friday. We can get to Edinburgh in 4 or 5 hours by EuroCity and we could even spend the night there, Thirrin said there are very good bed&breakfast places."

"I know it's the worse timing - Thirrin added -, but it's just 24 hours, so please go with us!"

It indeed was the worse timing, with Fashion Week coming up next week: Margaery preferred only one scandal a week, they had much work to do anyway, besides, these possibilities scared her too - they had barely started their relationship, she didn't want Robb to get involved into a huge family drama.

Another silence fell to the four of them. Those blue eyes were flickering with hope, while Margaery and Theon were thinking hard what to say.

"I don't know, this is a very dangerous game… - Theon rubbed his head as if he read her thoughts. - What if everything you claim is true? That Jon is not your brother but your cousin and your father was lying to everyone your mother included for more than 20 years? What are you going to do?" - he asked addressing his words to Robb.

"I don't know. But if it's true, Jon deserves to know the truth" - he simply answered. Margaery almost chuckled - Robb was so honest and pure she only could admire him for this.

"So does Daenerys - Thirrin added. - I swear we run into these pieces of information by accident, we just put together the pieces, because it seems so logical."

Margaery nodded. Everything was indeed logical - Lyanna's sudden disappearance, St. Mary Magdalene Hospital, an obvious cover story with one night stands and business trips to save the baby… And they couldn't forget about the fact that Jon was born in Edinburgh, as his birth certificate said. She took Robb's hand into hers and gave him a gentle squeeze.

"Thank you for telling us all this and we're going with you. Right, Theon?" - she gave him a meaningful look.

"Sure - he nodded. - I just need to call the office that I can't go to work on Friday."

Thirrin and Robb sighed in relief.

"Thank you - Thirrin said, first squeezing Margaery's free hand then climbing to the arm of the chair, placing a soft kiss on Theon's lips.. - We'll take care of everything. I've already looked for some places to stay in, I think a nice inn or an AirBnB would be good, and I can book tomorrow everything. Sooo… That's all. Any question?"

They shook their head.

"Again, thank you so much, it means a lot to me" - Robb repeated, pulling Margaery closer by the shoulders.

"Of course, mate - Theon gave him a smile. - If you're about to make something stupid, you gotta do it with me. That's worth for you too, Snowflake!"

"I would never leave you out of anything - she replied with a playful kiss on his cheek. - I guess we should leave, by the way, I need to get some popcorn before the film!"

"Oh fuck, you're right! - he exclaimed as if he totally forgot about their evening plans. Robb's widened blue eyes revealed that he was surprised by the sudden change of subject too. - Sooo… have fun for whatever you're doing! - Theon stood up from the armchair and went upstairs for his stuff quickly. - I'll be back tomorrow, if you're interested" - he added.

"See you soon!" - Thirrin waved goodbye too. They walked out of the door.

Margaery and Robb were left alone. The two exchanged a meaningful look.

"They go out as if nothing happened" - Robb muttered, mostly for himself, his eyes still widened.

"If you had have to live through what they had, you're able to concentrate on ordinary things more easily - Margaery said wisely. She knew too well Thirrin's ways of survival: besides partying like there was no tomorrow her cousin used to take advantage of her everyday tasks to avoid her other problems, and Margaery guessed, although she didn't know many details about Theon's past, he must do the same. - As far as I know, that helps you get through on the main issue. So I guess we should do something normal tonight, too" - she suggested.

"Okay - he sighed. - Dinner, some film or TV show, and some beer or wine, whatever you prefer."

"Good - she approved. - Would you mind if I got some work done, however? I have to reschedule some things, since we're leaving in the weekend."

"Of course - he nodded. - I'll order some food, something… Comforting. Sooo… Pizza, Thai, Chinese, Indian…?"

"A pad thai would be amazing" - she gave him a smile before running upstairs for her laptop and agenda. Her mind already wandered to the tasks she had to complete before fashion week: she wanted everything as perfect as possible, despite the eventual consequences, but she swiped away the stormy thoughts, instead she tried to stay positive and concentrate on Robb's mission.

"So, what do you want to watch? - she asked when she got back to the livingroom and sat down to the couch beside Robb. - I don't mind anything, and if you take an advice, we should choose something that has nothing to do with real world's upperclass scandals, you know, no models, no designers "- she added half joking half serious.

A light smile appeared on his face.

"Okay, then let's see something on the history-fantasy line… - he searched on the TV. - I guess it's the perfect time to give a shot to Vikings, it's a masterpiece according to my dearest future sister-in-law…"

It took him a second to realize what he had said, his face darkened immediately. She couldn't do anything but climb closer beside him, wrap an arm around his big shoulders and place a kiss in the hollow of his neck, resting her head there.

"Everything's gonna be okay - she whispered, reaching for his hand. - You might have got too carried away with creating theories" - she tried to sound convincing even though she didn't believe her words, but she knew Robb needed lots of comfort.

"You know what worries me the most? - he turned to her, drawing circles on the back of her hand with his thumb. - Mom's reaction. If everything's true, Jon will fall apart, I know that for sure, but he will have Ygritte. She would never leave him. She will be angry at Dad for not telling Jon the truth, she will be angry at me and Thirrin for discovering it, but she will stay with him anyway and put together his pieces and help him recover. But what about Mom? - he let out a desperate sigh. - You know, Mom values a lot if you don't lie to her. Lie is a betrayal in her eyes. That's why she didn't leave Dad when he first took home Jon: before he had confessed her his one night stand and all. But if she gets to know that all of this was one big lie, I don't know what she will do. We never lied to her. Never. No matter if we got a bad grade, we went out and got drunk or we got involved into a bad relationship, we never lied about anything. So… - he pulled her to his lap, hugging her tight, burying his face into her neck. - Margaery, I don't want my parents to get divorced" - he whispered against her skin desperately.

"They won't - she lifted up his chin. As she was looking into his blue eyes, she couldn't help but imagine how another pair of blue eyes would look at her in the same way, seeking for understanding, except those blue eyes had the undertone of cloudy, not bright sky. - Calm down, Robb. You can do this, and your family will survive this. Believe me " - she had long years of practice behind her at saying such things, being Thirrin's best friend required this.

"So much responsibility comes with this whole thing… And it's just as dangerous as your idea about the Targaryen revival - his protective side came out. - I've already told Thirrin, but I'm telling you too, please don't get yourselves killed! We know what Tywin Lannister is capable of!"

She sighed. How could she explain that they were perfectly safe, that their famous family name ensured them a smooth outcome? That their

grandmother was the most influential person in British fashion industry and they were under her protection? She let him talk instead, that was always a solid solution.

"I really admire you about this, you know - he continued. - That you don't let your emotions overcome you, that you always look at things with a cold head. If I were more like you, the weekend would be so much easier."

"You're just worried about your family, that's completely normal - she assured him. - Look, Robb, hard times might be coming, but I know you can get through on it. And I'll be here for you, no matter what - the words escaped her mouth so quickly she couldn't even think it through.

Maybe because of the way she formed the words with her soft lips, maybe because too much tension had been building up inside him along the day, maybe because she changed position and she was fully sitting in his lap, her legs slightly wrapped around him, she couldn't tell the reason, only the fact that his eyes suddenly darkened by lust, he pulled her face closer and he slammed his lips hard against hers.

At first she hesitated a little to kiss him back, but then she realized he wanted a let's-forget-about-everything kind of sex. _You'll get what you want, my wolf_ \- she smiled against their kiss.

As they tongues were dancing widely competing with each other for dominance, she already reached under his shirt, pulling it down, her fingers following the lines of freckles on his bare skin. At the same, with both of his hands on her hips, she started moving in his lap, feeling him up.

He pulled down her top quickly, his lips wandered along her jawline to her neck and down to her collarbone, his kisses were hungry, hard and demanding: he really wanted to forget about everything.

She didn't give herself fully to the thunder of emotions he had woken up inside her. Instead she reached down to his hips, she undid his belt, and in a second her hand was inside of his pants, her delicate fingers gently tightened around him. Moans and gasps were mixed into his kisses as she was slowly moving her hand, then faster. He only looked into her eyes when she freed herself from his embrace, climbing down between his thighs onto her knees.

"Shhh… - she pushed him back by his hard chest. - Lean back and enjoy, my wolf" - and with a deep breath she took him into her mouth. She tried to take as much of his length as she could, her lips, her tongue and her hands working simultaneously to drive him to his edge.

She closed her eyes, getting lost in the feeling of pleasuring him, then she looked up straight into his darkened blue eyes. His chest was moving up and down fast, seemed like he was really close - but all of sudden he squeezed her shoulder:

"Stop… Come here, my rose…"

He helped her to her feet, pulled down her jeans and panties and pulled her to his lap so she would be on top.

She couldn't help but grab his shoulders and sigh when he entered her. Still holding onto his shoulders, she started moving in a slow pace while he started kissing her neck again. She let her head fall back and closed her eyes as the tension was building up inside her too. When he grabbed at her hips she fastened her movements, she knew he was coming soon, so she finally let herself fully to the feeling. He pulled her even closer, both arms wrapped around her small body, his lips found hers as quickly as he found his release.

He didn't let her go though. Instead, he still held her close, his fingers running through her hair slowly as she buried her face into the hollow of his neck. His breath was returning to its normal pace

"I need you… - he whispered against her skin. - I need you so much now, Margaery… "  
The circumstances might not have been perfect, but nothing could make Margaery happier than this raspy, out-of-breath, heartfelt confession.


End file.
